Urban commons and the local state: co-production between enhancement and co-optation

Iolanda Bianchi*, Marina Pera, Laura Calvet-mir, Sergio Villamayor, Mara Ferreri, Núria Reguero, Sara Maestre Andrés

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
8 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Urban commons have emerged within the latest mobilization cycle, and have developed forms of everyday politics. Marxist and social movement scholars tend to see the urban commons/local state interactions that assemble commons’ material infrastructure as the prelude to commons being co-opted. Governance scholars uphold that these interactions can bring political benefits to the commons. By bridging these two perspectives, this article analyses urban commons/local state interactions that develop in the context of material-assembling practices in the light of what we call ‘commons-led co-production’: processes where commons gain political advantages from this co-production. By studying commons initiatives in two neighbourhoods in two different municipalities in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, we analyse and discuss a spectrum of five positions. We contend that material-assembling practices act as a condition of possibility for developing the everyday politics of the commons, where commons-led co-production can be laid out, in context-specific and variegated ways. However, the arrangement of commons-led co-production does not necessarily guarantee the long-term enhancement of commons’ political action. We conclude by calling for a more nuanced understanding of urban commons/local state interactions within material-assembling practices, one that considers both co-optation and enhancement as possible long-term outcomes of these interactions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1333-1352
Number of pages20
JournalTerritory, Politics, Governance
Volume12
Issue number9
Early online date12 Sept 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • collective action
  • co-production
  • urban movements
  • local government
  • protest cycle

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