Creative Commons

This dissertation was written as part of the MSc in Environmental Management and Sustainability 2017-18 at the International Hellenic University. The case study that is conducted in this paper outlines the existence and progress of the experimental township of Auroville in south India. Auroville is a live experiment on human unity, sustainability and circular economy. It is a living body which went and is going through constant changes since 1968, in order to approach its fundamental goals, co-existence in harmony, sustainably and ultimately free from conventional ways of living in nowadays society. It is not a common community from a philosophical point of view, but faces all the common problems of a modern society does, since it consists of imperfect humans who just try to seek other kinds of solutions. Auroville has some major accomplishments in sustainability that can boast about, even though this was not the main reason of its foundation, it proved that it is a crucial element of its success so far. The township of Auroville, which is probably the largest international community by now, is another proof that solving a problem which may be environmental, financial, social, should be approached in a wholistic way so the solution is given from a multi- dimensional scope. More importantly, the social factor is stressed out and seems to be the beginning of any solution. After all, social means human and humans are the ones who create and destroy.