Many Baby Boomers aren't content to settle into traditional retirement communities for the second half of their lives. Today, ecovillages, communal living and intentional communities offer appealing alternatives.

Building on its successful 2006 national intentional communities conference, the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement will offer a two-day workshop on "Women Living in Community,” focusing on creative solutions for housing and community in the second half of life.  The conference will be held at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center July 28-29.

"The conference is open to women and men of all ages," said Ron Manheimer, director of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement. "It will also be helpful to builders and developers who wish to better understand how women think about their lives and their housing needs as they grow older."

The conference will feature a number of acclaimed, nationally known speakers, including:

Diana Leafe Christian, editor of Communities magazine -- Christian is author of "Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities" and "Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community." She lives at Earthaven Ecovillage near Black Mountain, N.C.

Maureen K. McCarthy, international management consultant – McCarthy is the co-creator of "The State of Grace Document" which details an alternative way to build relationships that can be applied to innovative housing situations.

Joan Medlicott, author of the popular "Ladies of Covington" novel series -- Medlicott's books portray three older, single women who find a co-housing alternative, which leads to a renewed sense of confidence, competence and creativity. Medlicott came to writing at age 64, after careers in horticulture and as coordinator of a lifelong learning program for retirees.

Dene Peterson, creator of ElderSpirit Community in Abingdon, Va. -- ElderSpirit is a collaborative co-housing model of 29 moderate and low income residences with a common house and prayer room. The community focuses on developing late-life spirituality. An ElderSpirit Outreach Extension Program is helping to plan similar communities in other states.

Joy Silver, developer of the RainbowVision Communities for the Second Fifty Years in Santa Fe and Palm Springs -- Silver was a member of the SAGE Sub-Committee for Senior Housing in Society for Aging and is currently a member of LGAIN (Lesbian Gay Aging Issues Network) of the American Society for Aging.

Registration is $179 and includes conference materials and some meals. For more information and to register, call the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at 828/251-6140 or click on www.womenlivingincommunity.com.

"Women Living in Community" is sponsored by the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement with the North Carolina AARP, UNC Institute on Aging, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Land-of-Sky Regional Council Area Agency on Aging, Elder Cohousing Network, Sage-ing Guild and Second Journey.