The commons are the natural resources and all the social, civic and cultural assets produced or owned by the local community. They produce values for the institutions that make up society and thus power the economy of cities. When the commons are equally distributed, so it's the wealth of our communities. However, multiple forms of appropriation and depletion of the commons layered up through globalisation, austerity, privatisation and green transitions, amongst others. The quality of urban space suffers mainly from the externalities brought to the public space by those mechanisms. New forms of urban transformation lack the inclusivity of the local cultural practices and stewardship of shared activities. That is necessary for the continuity of collective memories and personal ambitions.

In this workshop, we analyse the uneven development of shrinking cities by mapping the scarcity and abundance of the commons to learn how to make urban transformation more equitable. Scarcity derives from the depletion of natural resources and global competition over human resources. Abundance derives from the misuse, underuse and lack of stewardship of urban spaces and their built environment. Mapping scarcity and abundance will help us identify the new commons and use them as drivers of change.

Class 1

• Intro to the course and methods
• Lecture 1 - Urban commons
• Intro to the mapping softwares
• Mapping exercise

︎ Deliverables

• Land use maps

︎ Assigment

1. Forming the groups
2. Land use analyses
3. Define research questions