Rethinking Communities for Solarpunk Stories
Have you ever heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child?" Well, where I live, most people do not know the name of their next door neighbor. This isolation can cause loneliness, but it is more than that.
Having a community is helping people do jobs they can't, it is lending tools, it is teaching someone to do a job their parents never taught them, and more.
Luckily, there is a solution that is becoming common in co-housing and eco-villages around the world.
So what do they do different? They utilize common areas or community centers, as well as outdoor spaces(such as courtyards or rooftop gardens). While you still have your private home with your own kitchen, you also have these spaces which are open to everyone.
Here are some ideas you might see in these common spaces:
Indoor play area. In some, the retired senior citizens who like to keep busy volunteer to watch children in these areas while parents are at work.
Dining room big enough to fit every person who lives there and guests.
Community Kitchen. People take turns cooking, or they have occasional dinners together.
Private office spaces (for work-from-home workers who still want to be around people).
Tiny libraries.
Outdoor play area.
Outdoor sitting spaces.
Community gardens and/or a greenhouse.
For your solarpunk stories, this actually could come in handy. Having these common areas give you more of a excuse for your characters to interact.
Your character can't avoid a certain someone because it is their day to help cook, or perhaps they are helping in the garden. Whatever the reason, it could be a handy way to force character interaction.