I found a vanilla SMP that is doing a real fresh start and everyone begins together for Season 2 on March 14 at 9AM AEST which is Friday evening in the USA
The first week is a tight 1000 by 1000 border and the Nether is closed so it stays really early game and focused. In week 2 the border expands and the Nether opens. The End unlocks two weeks after the Nether
PvP only happens if both people agree. Griefing and stealing are not allowed so it feels safer to build and trust people
Spawn is a flat plains area with rivers around it and there are villages nearby. Last season on day 1 it hit over 20 players and there is a short clip from Season 1 you can check out. The whitelist is open now and you apply through their Discord
Fresh Start Vanilla SMP Season 2
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPWhitelisted Vanilla SMP For Mature Players
I found a community based survival server called The Eternal Region. It is whitelisted and it is aimed at mature players who want a calmer place to play.
It stays vanilla first but it also has some quality of life changes. Phantoms are off and endermen cannot grief and you get double shulker shells.
The world border starts small then it grows every day and it is currently 5000 by 5000. It also uses Simple Voice Chat so players can talk while playing.
The server focuses on anti grief protection and respectful standards. It sounds like a place for builders redstone players and explorers who want a long term world to invest in.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP