In the future, no one will own homes: Kibbo hopes vanlife will become our new normal.

• Author: Rowland, Sarah

"WHAT IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO LIVE EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE? I found myself asking that question, and eventually, Kibbo became my answer," says founder Colin O'Donnell of his company, an alternative living environment that invites its customers to live out of camper vans from a network of designated Kibbo campgrounds.

His business is a new outpost within the vibrant scene of American van travel that's providing an innovative way for subscribers to live and work from the road, all without losing a sense of community or the true comforts of home. His home-on-the-move membership service offers structured outposts where members can camp, enjoy the provided amenities, engage with like-minded travelers--as well as the option for its members to rent a van if they don't already own one.

For less than the cost of a studio apartment in most major cities, a Kibbo subscriber can rent a fully loaded Mercedes sprinter van with a network of home bases across the West stocked with essential groceries, provisions, and WiFi access. These overnight destinations serve as central hubs designed to feel like co-living spaces where van travelers can live, work, and play.

Kibbo campsites opened just two months ago with its first stopovers in Ojai and Big Sur, California; the Black Rock Desert in Nevada; and Zion in Utah both opening early 2021, along with five other urban locations currently being built.

WHAT IF WE DON'T NEED TO LIVE IN ONE PLACE?

Before taking the big leap to found Kibbo, O'Donnell first started LinkNYC--a company that grew from New York City government official's need to convert payphones to WiFi hotspots all across New York. During his time with LinkNYC, O'Donnell dreamed of branching out from digital and physical technology into real, actualized cities.

"I always found myself wondering if we could shape this into something more. We worked with what we called a 'responsive city'--a city that could morph and respond to the needs and wants of people in real-time. With sensors and data, we began to understand the city of NYC more and started to change digital screens in real-time all across town in order to test out the first version of our responsive city.

"The idea stemmed from that notion--what if we could change more than just pixels? What if we put the control into people's hands but while supporting them with data? What would this digitally-enabled city look like?"

After Sidewalk Labs bought O'Donnell's company, he knew it was time to go...