Commoning, heterotopia, and transformation

An analytical framework for and from contested spaces

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4476210
AutoresAmy R Poteete (0000-0002-7017-8731, Concordia University, autor de correspondencia), Pavel Kunysz (0009-0002-7769-3039, University of Liège), Nik Luka (0000-0002-1804-4066, McGill University)
Año2025
Fecha de publicación2025-09-10
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEnvironment and Planning D Society and Space (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0263-7758 • E-ISSN: 1472-3433
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02637758251361706
OpenAlexW4414111914
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas39

Commoning occurs when people recognize that they share something and develop a sense of mutuality toward each other along with a shared responsibility for whatever they share. Because sharing and mutuality contrast with the individualism, competitiveness, and profit orientation of contemporary capitalist societies, commoning is widely heralded for its transformative potential. Nonetheless, commoning is not inherently transformative. We argue that whether commoning supports transformation depends on its relationship with heterotopic processes. Both commoning and heterotopia-ideal typical "other" spaces characterized by looseness and denormalization-present alternatives to hegemonic norms, especially those of state-centricity, hierarchical social organization, and the prioritization of market relationships and economic growth, but they are distinct processes that do not necessarily coincide. We propose an analytical framework to guide analysis of the relationship between commoning and heterotopia and illustrate it with examples from contested urban green spaces in Liège (Belgium), Montréal (Canada), and Brussels (Belgium

Spatial and Cultural Studies · Urban Design and Spatial Analysis