Magkou, Matina

Having long symbolised the inefficiency of shared ownership, the commons are re-emerging as an effective principle of social and cultural struggle against neoliberalism (). Our focus in this article, shifts from examining the internal dynamics of commons- organizing to understanding the sociopolitical context in which they emerge and the policy infrastructure that enables (or not) their existence and sustainability. We adopt a multi-case study approach to analyse the origins of the spread of commons vocabulary and practice in community-run cultural spaces in Naples, Marseille and Athens and discuss their relationship with policy. The choice of the cities is not accidental. First and foremost, our knowledge is grounded in previous fieldwork conducted within our respective geographies, where our understanding of the local context and language proficiency enables us to engage effectively with practitioners and relevant policy documents for our research. Secondly, while the selected cases (L'Asilo, Friche Belle de Mai, Communitism) may not be directly comparable, they are exemplary within their respective contexts. We identify three different policy attitudes towards the commons: conflict and dialogue, multiple avenues for policy co-development, and indifference that reveal fundamental issues related to the relationship between the commons and state authorities, such as antagonism, cooptation and mutual avoidance. We suggest that a pathway based on mutual trust, independence and adopting cultural rights can enable new collaborations between policymakers and activists.

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