Well, ideally the communal kitchen and eating area would essentially substitute for both restaurants and grocery stores. The potential for socializing seems a l

Well, ideally the communal kitchen and eating area would essentially substitute for both restaurants and grocery stores. The potential for socializing seems a lot like that of a small college - most people socialize during meal times and people who feel more like socializing can hang out in the communal areas between meal times. Which is to say, it's a space that has a lot more social potential than the grocery store/restaurant combo. Restaurants are for celebrating and meeting people you know. I don't think anyone socializes at all in grocery stores (though simple contact has its benefits). The "village" is divided into three neighborhood, all of which appear walkable (from a brief glance at the video). What I personally wouldn't like would be the small scale and having to buy-in and put all your eggs in the eco-village basket, so to speak.