The current trends of research on ecovillage for sustainable development approaches a thematic review

Ecovillages are communities designed through locally owned, participatory processes to integrate social, cultural, ecological, and economic dimensions of sustainability, aiming for development that meets current needs without compromising future generations. Critics argue that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) face challenges due to vague action plans. In contrast, as experimental grounds for sustainable living, ecovillages provide concrete explorations of the SDGs. However, comprehensive analyses of their contributions to the SDGs remain limited. This study addresses this gap through a thematic review of literature published between 2020 and 2024 in Scopus and Web of Science. Using inductive coding and axial grouping with ATLAS.ti, the analysis reveals five key themes, encompassing the domains of Rural Development, Educational Approaches and Learning, Social and Innovative Economic Practices, Sustainability Models and Practices, and Landscape and Rural Design. The findings demonstrate that social and economic practices are the most frequently addressed themes, while spatial and design-oriented strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. Ecovillages promote SDG advancement through grassroots innovation, place-based learning, renewable energy experimentation, and culturally grounded practices, despite notable regional disparities in research. This study also highlights the policy relevance of ecovillages as bottom-up alternatives to top-down SDG implementation, underscoring the need for adaptive governance frameworks that support community autonomy and context-sensitive sustainability transitions.