Open Call | "Plural Commons" by Urban Commons Research Collective
/call
The Urban Commons Research Collective (UCRC) is launching this open call to create a digital archive and print volume titled “Plural Commons.”
We invite scholars, practitioners, activists, and storytellers of the urban commons to join us in this initiative by submitting an Expression of Interest by 20 June 2025, which will lead to a collaborative writing project in the coming months.
Our aim with this initiative is to broaden our understanding of communal living and stewardship by challenging the Western-centric notion of “the commons.” We believe that experiences of the commons exist within broader relational worlds, each shaped by unique worldviews, knowledge systems, and historical contexts. This is reflected in the specific terms used to describe shared resources, communities, and practices of sharing across different languages and localities.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].
After Beirut, all my cookings look a bit like this (zataar, tahine, pomegranate molasses and lemon everywhere)
@suraia_abud@yass_961 would understand...
It is at the summit of these white winter days that the scent of summer visits me
so i pull the thread of a distant memory,
that of a 2023 summer retreat
when we came together to tickle our sci-fi nerves to imagine..
‘Femmgloss’
A rebellious feminist hackathon or a political-clusterfuck-processing retreat that I organised with the feministisation of politics collective in Euvoia, Greece. Oh how i miss those sunny days by the bay when we fermented thoughts, digested foods, and attuned body rhythms to plot, prefigure and write our way to the transfeminist futures we desire 💓
The result? A glossary where amphibious life is companion to human one, where social movements meet in a trans-galactic archipelago gathering in 2035, and where vulvaroaches are cockroaches metamorphosed.
We invented new words, characters, and mashed up the meaning of old words anew. We embarked on a time capsule to respond to esa cosa escandalosa [the deadly mix of capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism] with wit and gloss. After the dark techno-accelerationist tide, there’s a just world, lleno de buen vivir waiting (we’re femmifesting bitches :)
Stellar design by @darkolina capturing so aptly the vibes of this speculative visioning work
Love bomb to our amigas at @villa_mmm for opening the library, the landscape, and always carebathing us tenderly
To the emn for the framing of municipalist imaginaries, our politics of yesterday and tomorrow ✊
with compas @malashierbas@floresta_momo@emme_ef@l_adyl_azarus@je.nascette.gatta & Angela, our hosts @ivanmarching and @toniazilianaiou 🔥
Strategies for Commoning the City
Tomorrow at Floating [University] in Berlin, Melissa Harrison and yours truly will present the Urban Commons Handbook in conversation with Alkistis Thomidou and Berta Gutierrez, editors of Radical Rituals.
In the Handbook, the Urban Commons Research Collective focused on questions around the ecologies, localities, economies, knowledges, socialities, infrastructures and governance of the commons.
What other elements are involved in the proliferation of urban commons? How do we broaden commoning processes beyond particular projects and into social ecologies?
#urbancommons #booklaunch #floatinguniversity
¿Cuántas faltas de ortografía puede tener una tesis después de haberla revisado cinco veces? Muchas. Afortunadamente, esas son las únicas correcciones que han pedido mis examinadores en el Viva :)
Esta aventura comenzó en 2018 con una beca del Economic and Social Research Council del Reino Unido, y termina con 300 páginas de descripciones, análisis, referencias, diagramas y propuestas.
Por el camino, un accidente con concusión cerebral incluida, la pérdida de las ciudades del cambio que habían incitado la propuesta de investigación, una pandemia que le dio una vuelta a la tesis y a nuestras vidas, y una pérdida irremplazable. También nuevas gentes e ideas con las que pensar los comunes,
más de 60 charlas, seminarios y encuentros de todo tipo (las he contado!), dos libros colectivos, decenas de entrevistas a gente maravillosa (transcritas!) y el reencuentro del urbanismo como práctica de transformación.
Ha sido todo un viaje y no podría haberlo hecho sin tantas de vosotras.
Seguimos :)
//////////
Six years into my academic adventures, last April I submitted the results of a doctoral research exploring my proposal for a 'becoming-common of the public'. Two weeks ago I passed the Viva at Sheffield Schol of Architecture with very minor corrections (all due to my inability to see spelling mistakes any more....).
The general consensus is that it is a *very* dense thesis. I tried to explain a lot and ended up speculating about a lot more. It's perhaps a little too general and sometimes a little too detailed. I've made a bunch of diagrams that don't even capture everything I've learned, and I've included far too many references.
I had fun and I despaired. If I had to write it again, it would be a different story. But it's done!
Now I just have to chop it up into legible bits. Wait for it ;)
Let's plunge into the new year knowing we are surrounded by storms, but we will face them together.
For a 2024 in common
Por un 2024 en común
Entramos de cabeza en un nuevo año de luchas titánicas, victorias coyunturales, alegrías imprescindibles, encuentros imprevistos y pérdidas infinitas que nunca podremos recuperar. Si no nos perdemos es porque estamos juntas.
Palabras, palabras y más palabras.
Engarzadas unas con otras tratando de iluminar la visión de un presente futuro donde omnia, pero omnia, sea communia.
Palabras compiladas por Bru Laín y acompañadas por gentes queridas como Verenna Lenna, Rosa Congost y @marcondrio11 .
Editadas por @bellaterraedicions https://www.bellaterra.coop/es/libros/ni-publico-ni-privado-sino-comun
![It is at the summit of these white winter days that the scent of summer visits meso i pull the thread of a distant memory,that of a 2023 summer retreatwhen we came together to tickle our sci-fi nerves to imagine..‘Femmgloss’A rebellious feminist hackathon or a political-clusterfuck-processing retreat that I organised with the feministisation of politics collective in Euvoia, Greece. Oh how i miss those sunny days by the bay when we fermented thoughts, digested foods, and attuned body rhythms to plot, prefigure and write our way to the transfeminist futures we desire The result? A glossary where amphibious life is companion to human one, where social movements meet in a trans-galactic archipelago gathering in 2035, and where vulvaroaches are cockroaches metamorphosed.We invented new words, characters, and mashed up the meaning of old words anew. We embarked on a time capsule to respond to esa cosa escandalosa [the deadly mix of capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism] with wit and gloss. After the dark techno-accelerationist tide, there’s a just world, lleno de buen vivir waiting (we’re femmifesting bitches :)Stellar design by @darkolina capturing so aptly the vibes of this speculative visioning workLove bomb to our amigas at @villa_mmm for opening the library, the landscape, and always carebathing us tenderlyTo the emn for the framing of municipalist imaginaries, our politics of yesterday and tomorrow with compas @malashierbas @floresta_momo @emme_ef @l_adyl_azarus @je.nascette.gatta & Angela, our hosts @ivanmarching and @toniazilianaiou](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6767445827651122696510_0_1554e7a2228cad4ffde300ff48a204ae.jpg?o=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&h=7a09daca5671309370ee882112edcc96)
![Strategies for Commoning the CityTomorrow at Floating [University] in Berlin, Melissa Harrison and yours truly will present the Urban Commons Handbook in conversation with Alkistis Thomidou and Berta Gutierrez, editors of Radical Rituals.In the Handbook, the Urban Commons Research Collective focused on questions around the ecologies, localities, economies, knowledges, socialities, infrastructures and governance of the commons.What other elements are involved in the proliferation of urban commons? How do we broaden commoning processes beyond particular projects and into social ecologies?#urbancommons #booklaunch #floatinguniversity](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6818223150203248203924_0_f6b4e7a64637ba2d94973400f92aa0c2.jpg?o=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&h=09b47d094959767fa6b9da1d5268c46c)
