Intentional Communities (aka ICs) are formed when people choose to live with or near enough to each other to carry out a shared lifestyle, within a shared culture and with a common purpose. Most intentional Communities share land or housing or live in adjacent properties, though a few are non-residential. Most govern themselves with some form of participatory democracy, such as Consensus decision-making, super-majority voting, or majority-rule voting. Relatively few (usually spiritual or religious communities) are governed by a spiritual or religious leader or a group of leaders.
The common purpose of Communities vary widely, The Transition is trying to unify them to move in the same direction to help create a more resilient future for all of humanity. Ecovillages, for example are Intentional Communities which model and demonstrate ecologically sustainable lifestyles. They can be urban or rural.