Res Communis: Common-Pool Resources in Architecture and Urban Design

The notion of ‘the commons’ allows us to think about the role of architecture and urban design in relation to the common-pool resources. These common pool resources are generally defined as a set of natural or man-made goods from which the individual can profit but that are controlled trough collective strategies and operations. In the history of rural and urban landscapes we can find such as common-pool resources, such as the agricultural ‘meent’ in the lowlands or even the figures of the ‘the green’ and ‘the close’ in 19th and early 20th century city.

This lecture will explore some examples of how the common pool resources of the city have been defined and understood historically and how they might be conceived of today. Especially the role that architecture plays in articulating, unlocking, maintaining and even protecting these common pool resources will be explored.

Common pool resources can have the character of leisurely green and water spaces, but also relate to more productive qualities of the urban landscape or to the transport of people and goods in the city. They can be qualified and protected through rules and laws; but is there also be a role for the built environment in not only offering access to these resources but also in maintaining and even reproducing them?