Say the word "commune," and it calls up certain associations: hippies, flower power, free love experiments gone wrong. But the 1960s experiment is back, with a new set of rules. It's pragmatic, urban and sustainable. Kasmin Fernandes meets the current-day advocates

Imagine...

Living in a small neighbourhood where everyone knows each other.

Wandering over to the common house to work in an office, play with the children, practise the piano, learn to paint, share a meal, or just hang out with family, friends, and neighbours.

Not needing to own a car, bike or mechanical toolkit because these are shared by the community, and people will always be around to lend a hand if you need help with transportation, house maintenance, child care, or moving heavy items.

The 1,700 sq ft Bombay HUB open office in Bandra accommodates 24
workstations used by artists, freelance writers, and social entreprenuers.
Pics/Vikas Munipalle

A terrace that has fruit and vegetable gardens, so you don't need to run to the grocery store for a basil garnish.

That your home is energy-efficient, so utility bills and maintenance are minimal. It is closely connected to the community, and yet provides all the privacy you need when you want it.

Impossible as it sounds, Indian cities, especially Mumbai, are fast becoming giant communes for globally conscious and collaborative art, music, the good life, even work.

Share work space
At: Fourth Floor, Candelar Building, 26 St John de Baptist Road, Bandra (W)
For membership, email: bombay.hub@unltdindia.org
Call: 32220475
Bombay HUB is a laboratory of social change. As an open office space, it provides everything a start-up social entrepreneur needs; from WiFi and chai to connections and fascinating company," says host Alex Baine.

Bombay HUB is inspired by a global network of innovative, passionately-created workspaces designed to help people bring about social change through their work. Nearly 30+ Hub-like spaces now exist in cities from Brussels and Tel Aviv to the newly launched Hub Atlanta.

Bombay HUB is an initiative of UnLtd India, a foundation supporting start-up social entrepreneurs in India. Located in an elegant old building near Mount Mary Church in Bandra, Bombay HUB is a fusion of old and new, marrying the original features of the building with contemporary design and colour.

"Bombay HUB is run with contributions from the members, which range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 9,000 per month, based on the duration of use, the space occupied and what they can afford," says Baine. The 1,700 sq ft hub accommodates 24 workstations and can host up to 70 people for events. The workspace incorporates a large designed-for-collaboration hall, conference rooms and a cute library you can lounge in for a good read. On weekends, it transforms into an innovative event space for debates, seminars and workshops on anything from modern dance movement to marketing toolkits for social entrepreneurs.

On the Wednesday afternoon that we strolled in, artists, freelance writers, corporates and social entrepreneurs were hard at work in relaxed concentration. Upstairs, 23 year-old green thumb Adrienne T was tending to her herb and vegetable terrace garden. "It's a pilot for an initiative to raise awareness about community gardening and edible landscaping and to encourage people to consider growing food within the city," she said while handing us a few sprigs of the most fragrant basil and lemongrass we've come across in Mumbai.

Share a jam room
At: 3rd Step, lane opposite Sea Princess Hotel, Kishore Kumar Ganguly Road, behind Rajput Bakery, Juhu.
Fee: Rs 200 an hour until 7 pm; Rs 250 an hour post 7 pm for the jamroom
A joint on a Juhu inroad is fast becoming THE place for rockers in the city to jam, record, shop and collaborate, no matter what time of the day (or night). Housing the largest jam room in India, 3rd Step by the Veigas brothers (Jordan and Caleb) is a music store, jam room, recording studio and record label, all rolled into one neat package.

"The rock music scene in the city is bigger than ever, and musicians are coming together in different ways to make it bigger still," says Jordan, who's a bassist for Channel [V] Launchpad winners Reverrse Polarity.
The Juhu establishment is an extension of their jamroom, which they rented out to musicians out of their home in Bandra.

It's the latest in around nine jamrooms that have opened in Mumbai -- from Andheri to Navi Mumbai. At N.O.C. V 2.0 in Andheri, a mixer-amplifier setup has been provided to eliminate volume wars and to give bands the feeling of playing on stage as well as to educate them on basic sound setups and mixing techniques. The comfortable environment allows bands to focus purely on making and practising their music with no
problems and no interruptions.

Apart from the setup, 3rd Step will also hold guitar, drum and violin classes by musicians including Trinity College of Music alumni; all to nurture the growing community of musicians in the city. "There are 3,000 bands in Mumbai, including 1,800 pro bands. And the number is growing!"

Share an urban farm
To join, visit: www.UrbanLeavesInIndia.com
Who would have thought that a group created for time-strapped, like-minded people to enjoy an hour of gardening every week, would build the city's first community urban farm? Urban Leaves volunteers took the first step towards what is now a city farm at Mahim's Maharashtra Nature Park, at a workshop in September 2009.
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Preeti Patil, the catering officer from Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), was showing them how to get their hands dirty -- making Amrut Mitti (a nutrient rich compost made from leaf litter and top soil) heaps.

"This activity became a starting point to meet, interact and watch over the progress of the Amrut Mitti every week. In the process, a hand-holding measure for the participants evolved, and they started communing and volunteering for the Urban Leaves group," says Patil.

Avinash Kubal, deputy director, MNP, suggested they take up greening the concrete space of about 400 sq ft on a water tank at the ground level. "This could be a replicated model of the farm at MbPT, which would inspire people to takeu00a0 up urban farming," she says.

While the city is still finding its feet in community urban farming, internationally, the movement couldn't have been bigger. "Community farming is huge in the US and Europe," confirms Adrienne T who is collaborating with a soil scientist and his wife Karen Peters -- an old hand at the concept -- to start a similar movement here.
Patil extends an open invitation: "So, all those who wish to grow their own food, laugh and dirty their hands in soil, feel empowered with the knowledge of what to eat, when to eat and how to eat are invited to join us at the Maharashtra Nature Park."

Share your clothes
Last date for donating clothes is August 10. To volunteer, send an email to hamarafootpath@gmail.com
Sale on: August 14 and 15
At: Dhoop, 101 Sheetal Apartments, Union Park, Khar (W)
Call: 26498647
Do you have closets and drawers filled with clothes you've never worn? This Independence Day weekend, community group Hamara Footpath could be your emancipator.

You have a chance to kiss that pair of killer heels (you never wore) goodbye, or that designer dress too tight for your midrib, and say hello to a fresh wearable set. You know what they say ufffd one person's trash is another person's treasure.

Journalist Shubhangi Swarup and her friends who teach "life skills" to street kids by the light of solar-powered lamps, are holding a garage sale for charity at home decor store Dhoop. All proceeds from the sale will go towards the charity.

Garage sales (also called yard sales in the US) are popular abroad for community-building and fund-gathering.

The objective can be as diverse as local parish maintenance to medical aid for an accident victim.u00a0u00a0

Volunteers will collect unused designer wear and accessories at various pick-up points (in Juhu, Bandra, Dadar, Marine Drive, Nariman Point and Colaba).

Once you've made your contribution in kind, drop in at the sale for a bit of shopping. It's all for a good cause, so the retail therapy will be guilt-free.

Share a yacht
At: Yacht Charters India, 52 Grants Annexe, 19/A BK Road, near Strand Cinema, Colaba. Call: 32689767
Price: Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 an hour for a 61-foot yacht with a capacity of 25 people. Rs 40,000 an hour for a 71-foot yacht with a capacity of 35 people. Inquiries to be made at least 24 hours in advance
Why buy if you can hire? If you want to live like a millionaire, you don't have to make or spend millions. Luxury yacht rentals, for example, save you the financial heartache of buying a private yacht. Another advantage of renting out a yacht instead of buying is opening yourself up to different selections to fit every event you plan to use it for. Best of all, you get a model to fit your budget.

"Yacht charters offer a sizeable selection of boat models to choose from, like a small family yacht to cater to relaxation trips or larger expensive models to cater to parties and special occasions with a lot of attendees. At an additional cost, even food and beverage can be customised," says Khojesteh Kathawala, general manager, Yacht Charters India. The firm rents out three yachts every week, complete with crew, a licenced sailor and deck hands. But before you make that call for a luxurious cruise, hold on. Sailing season doesn't begin until end of September.

Not enough? Share some more
Share shame
Forget Sach Ka Saamna. The Bombay Elektrik Project's Wince! is your truth told as it was, verbatim. Brave souls come forward one Monday each month and read aloud from their teenage diaries, journals, notes, letters, and other general representations of the crushing misery of their humiliating adolescence. It's better and cheaper than therapy! Wince! doesn't edit material. If you are still unsure about baring your sad teenage soul in public, bring your material with you and consider volunteering at the end of the show.
Entry: Free
When: One Monday every month
At: Cafe Goa, Agnelo House, off St John de Baptist, Road, near Mount Mary steps, Bandra (W)
Call: 9819703271
Email: wince@bombayelektrik.com

Meet local farmers
Internationally, farmer's markets are a huge trend because consumers are becoming increasingly aware of where their food comes from, who grows it and what methods were used in the process.

If you love fresh, locally grown, organically certified fruits and veggies, visit The Farmer's Market. Currently in hibernation because of the monsoon, the Mumbai chapter of open-air farmer's markets connected people with organic farmers across Maharashtra. It was a huge success at its permanent location at Nilgiri Gardens in the heart of Bandra. Their Facebook page is alive with tip-offs on where to buy organic eggs to organic food home delivery services. The next season will see The Farmer's Market go mobile, travelling from one suburb to another, every Sunday.
Entry: Free
For schedule and details of the next Farmer's Market, call Megha onu00a0 9821142700

The handbook
How to live in a commune
Stephanie Smith of WeCommune (.com) and Alex Marshall of Brooklyn Cohousing (.org) on how to live in a commune (without stepping on each other's toes):

1. Decide on your community's values early on. Once your vision is in place, says Marshall, "getting a good group together is largely a self-selection process. You tend to attract other people who like that vision, and people who aren't attracted to it go away."u00a0
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2. Keep communication lines open. In Smith's four-person apartment, a notebook and pen live on the kitchen table. Householders use it "almost like a collective journal." In a commune, Smith explains, "there needs to be a way to have collective dialogue that doesn't necessarily lead to dispute."u00a0
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3. Trust the power of consensus. "I think the consensus process is really helpful in building a group," says Marshall, "because it forces you to communicate well and to listen. People often disagree, but there's rarely a feeling of being forced out."u00a0
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4. Don't think being in a community is the same as being friends. "It's crucial to understand the difference between friends and fellow communards," says Smith. "It can get very claustrophobic if you feel you need to be friendly to your housemates every time you seen them."u00a0
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5. Enjoy the economic benefits of communal living. Marshall's group plans to leverage their strength in numbers to buy a large portion of a condo building at an attractive rate, taking advantage of their appeal to strapped developers.u00a0
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6. Learn from the success stories. Smith observes that in the few 1960s communes that thrived, the members found a common cause to rally around. Child-raising, well-managed farming, or shared creative pursuits have all acted as the "glue" binding an intentional community together for the long haul. So, find your glue, and stick with it.

Trend forecast

Hyperlocal
Normally, when you need compost for your garden, you drive to the nearest organic store. But for some back-to-basics Portlanders (Oregon, USA), that would be a foolish way to accomplish such an errand. Instead, they log onto an online social network called Bright Neighbor (.com) to locate someone in their neighborhood who might have some compost on offer. If everything works out, they will walk their wheelbarrow down the street and return with it piled high with fertiliser. At what cost? It could be free. Or it might cost a few tomatoes from their garden. Or a complimentary kayaking lesson.

Bright Neighbor began in early 2008 as a "virtual commune," allowing Portland residents to connect with their neighbours to set up ride shares, learn about community events, and barter goods and services.

Mass Mingling
Trend Watching (.com) says that social media and mobile communications are fueling a Mass Mingling that defies virtually every cliche about diminished human interaction in our 'online era'.

The website predicts that in future, Mass Mingling will mean more impromptu, temporary meet-ups of strangers, mobs and crowds.