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The Power of a Village Built on Sunlight: Sunlight Income Villages in South Korea

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  One of the initiatives currently attracting significant attention in South Korea is the Sunlight Income Village program. As the name suggests, it is a model that generates income from sunlight. I have mentioned Sunlight Income Villages several times on this blog, but in this article, I would like to explain what they are and why they matter.   🔆 What Is a Sunlight Income Village?   First, let's take a look at what a Sunlight Income Village actually is.   A Sunlight Income Village is a community-led renewable energy project in which local residents install and operate village-scale solar power facilities on idle land, public land, or other underutilized spaces. The revenue generated from these solar facilities is then used to improve community welfare and support the local economy.   The most important feature of this model is that residents participate directly. Community members are involved in both the installation and operation of the solar...
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The Force That Sustains Society: Why Relationships Are Also Social Infrastructure

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  When you hear the word infrastructure, what comes to mind?   For me, it brings to mind essential facilities and systems that form the foundation of everyday life. And when those systems stop functioning, daily life can quickly come to a halt. Without roads, electricity, or internet networks, for example, it becomes difficult to live and work normally. This is also why a lack of infrastructure is often cited as both a cause and a consequence of regional decline.   But are physical facilities the only infrastructure that keeps society running?   🌸Is Physical Infrastructure All That Matters?   In a previous article, I wrote about WESTAY Byeolnae, a cooperative housing community. Throughout this blog, I have also written repeatedly about collaboration and connection. At the heart of these topics lies one common theme: relationships between people.   Throughout our lives, we build many kinds of relationships — with family members, neighbor...
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When an Apartment Becomes a Village: A Community Apartment as a Place to Live

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A book talk celebrating the publication of How Did an Apartment Become a Village?, a book documenting the story of the community apartment WESTAY Byeolnae.(Photo by Milly)    In my previous article, I introduced the origins of WESTAY Byeolnae, a community apartment operated through a social cooperative model.   👉👉Related Article How Did an Apartment Become a Village? Inside WESTAY Byeolnae, Korea's Community Housing Experiment <Part 1>   This time, I would like to share stories about the present and future of WESTAY Byeolnae based on a book talk held on June 8 to celebrate the publication of How Did an Apartment Become a Village? Among the various sessions that day, I found the residents’ personal stories and experiences particularly fascinating.   😍How Do the Residents Live?   Several residents took the stage during the book talk and, somewhat shyly, shared stories about life at WESTAY Byeolnae.   At its core, WESTAY Byeol...
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