Diversity and Challenges of the Urban Commons: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

This study is a comprehensive literature review about the field of the urban commons and its diversity, which we investigate through the lens of the new commons. Acknowledging a potential for adaptive capacity in the urban commons, we classify its traits into ecosystem, socio-economic and institutional factors. To make our work more practical, we further arrange them as benefits, challenges or supports. Our literature review highlights the need to further study the institutions which have an impact on the urban commons, as well as the individual and collective behaviour mechanisms at stake in the emergence and management of this commons. In addition, more light needs to be shed on the property-regimes relevant to the urban commons, with a focus on the access or use rules, rather than on ownership.

Imagine a cidade: práxis plurais e a produção de lugares compartilhados

“…Nossa abordagem à noção de comuns urbanos segue o debate atual sobre o tema e distingue três raízes conceituais: comum, comuns e comunalidade (HESS, 2008;BORCH;KORNBERGER, 2015;LAIONE 2016;PARKER;SCHMIDT, 2017;CRUZ;PAULINO, 2020;FEINBERG et al, 2021). O termo "comum" descreve a fundação de recursos materiais e simbólicos compartilhados, com os quais a humanidade pode viver em conjunto, abrangendo desde recursos naturais até riqueza digital (HARDT; NEGRI, 2009).…”

Blockchain Networks as Knowledge Commons

“…Legal scholars took up this mantle in developing further the GKC framework and applying it to a diversity of circumstances (Frischmann et al, 2014;Madison et al, 2010). Within the domain of new commons analysis, knowledge commons has been applied to education, intellectual property rights, Internet, peer production, libraries, science, and markets (Feinberg et al, 2021).…”

Structural equation modeling reveals decoupling of ecological and self-perceived outcomes in a garden box social-ecological system

“…Urban box gardening is an example of the urban green commons, which includes parks and greenery, allotments, community gardens, and many other forms of shared resources in urban context 12 , 26 . Urban commons are a relevant case for SES studies, as they offer multiple benefits and ecosystem services 12 , 27 while facing also several common governance challenges such as inadequate management of the public space, low volunteer participation, or lack of knowledge and institutional support 13 , 28 . In industrialized countries urban gardeners are not necessarily economically dependent on urban gardens, but still their popularity is growing 27 .…”

“…For example, the box gardens are small with no commercial aspect or food security emphasis, which leads to differences in motivations and therefore in system dynamics 16 , 27 . As the economic outcomes are limited, it is likely that the non-tangible outcomes, such as joy of gardening, connection with nature, healthy lifestyle and social community, play an important role 28 – 31 . In addition, the social, personal, and ecological benefits have seldom been studied concurrently, especially with regard to factors that contribute to success in achieving these benefits 28 , 32 .…”

“…As the economic outcomes are limited, it is likely that the non-tangible outcomes, such as joy of gardening, connection with nature, healthy lifestyle and social community, play an important role 28 – 31 . In addition, the social, personal, and ecological benefits have seldom been studied concurrently, especially with regard to factors that contribute to success in achieving these benefits 28 , 32 . We assume that urban box gardeners vary in succeeding in resource governance, both in ecological and self-perceived outcomes 32 , 33 , and aim to model these outcomes and predict them by applying the SES framework.…”