In this new section, started in December 2016, we will start compiling policy proposals that are specifically oriented around commons, starting with the material of the European Commons Assembly.

Introduction

Five Basic Design Principles for the Urban Commons

Christian Iaione and Sheila Foster:

"We have distilled five key design principles for the urban commons:

• Principle 1: Collective governance refers to the presence of a multi-stakeholder governance scheme whereby the community emerges as an actor and partners up with at least three different urban actors

• Principle 2: Enabling State expresses the role of the State in facilitating the creation of urban commons and supporting collective action arrangements for the management and sustainability of the urban commons.

• Principle 3: Social and Economic Pooling refers to the presence of different forms of resource pooling and cooperation between five possible actors in the urban environment

• Principle 4: Experimentalism is the presence of an adaptive and iterative approach to designing the legal processes and institutions that govern urban commons.

• Principle 5: Tech Justice highlights access to technology, the presence of digital infrastructure, and open data protocols as an enabling driver of collaboration and the creation of urban commons."

(https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2017/08/20/ostrom-city-design-principles-urban-commons/)

Status of city-based commons transitions

• Italian cities started implementing protocols for formal collaboration between public authorities after the crafting of the Bologna Regulation for the Care and Regeneration of Urban Commons; see also: Bologna's Urban Commons Approach

• The Commons Transition plan for the City of Ghent was crafted in 2017. See for the official dutch version: [1]

For context, see our P2P Foundation Report: Changing Societies through Urban Commons Transitions. By Michel Bauwens and Vasilis Niaros. P2P Foundation and Heinrich Boll Foundation, 2017 [2] This is a more reflexive document on the experience in Ghent, with chapter 3 focusing on Ghent itself.

• The Commons Lab of Sydney has sent a Draft Proposal for a Commons Transition Plan for the City of Sydney in August 2019

• Amsterdam is working with De Meent and Commons Network on a commons transition for the city. See f.e. Amsterdam 2018 Coalition Accord and its Commons-Centric Elements

• The city of Seoul is in the process of inquiring how to move from the paradigm of a sharing city, to that of a commons city. Activities may be planned for 2020.

• Barcelona has crafter several policy plans with a distinct attention to the concept of the Commons: see Barcelona City Council Open Digitisation Plan ; Barcelona City Data Commons

• In several French cities, commoners have organized initiatives like the Assembly of the Commons and the Chamber of the Commons

• The Co-Cities Report on the Urban Commons Transitions of LabGov (with the collaboration of the P2P Foundation), has analyzed 1,000 case studies of urban commons, half from the Global South.

P2P Foundation Reports

* Report/Book: Changing Societies through Urban Commons Transitions. By Michel Bauwens and Vasilis Niaros. P2P Foundation and Heinrich Boll Foundation, 2017 [3]: This is a reflexive document on the experience in Ghent, with chapter 3 focusing on Ghent itself.

• English translation of the original Commons Transition Plan for the City of Ghent can be downloaded here

• Dutch-language report: Commons Transitie Plan voor de stad Gent. Van Michel Bauwens en Yurek Onzia. Juni 2017. In opdracht van de stad Gent. Pdf version of the original dutch-language policy proposal

Key Resources

Key Books

• Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto for Sharing Public Wealth. By Guy Standing. Penguin / Pelican Books, 2019 [4]

• Our Commons: Political Ideas for a New Europe. Ed. by Sophie Bloemen and Thomas de Groot. Commons Network, 2019 [5]. See: Commons-Based Political Ideas for a New Europe

Key Policy Proposals

• Charter of the Commons
• Permanent Commons Fund

Key Legislation and Regulation

• Bologna Regulation for the Care and Regeneration of Urban Commons

Key Videos

• Christian Iaone on the Urban Commons Charters in Italy

Topics

Energy

• Commons-Based Renewable Energy in the Age of Climate Collapse. By David Hammerstein.
• Energy Commons as the Missing Link Between Energy Transition and Climate Justice

Food and Agriculture

• Moving to a European Common Food Policy instead of a Common Agricultural Policy

Housing

• Commons Law for Housing. By Saki Bailey