Session 11. 3. A.

In a time ruled by neo-liberal urban governance, the role of libraries as urban commons has exponentially become crucial in fostering social equity and sustainable city-making. However, in public policy matters, libraries are barely depicted as ‘meeting places’ for neighborhoods. This study explores how libraries facilitate social interaction, community engagement, and a sense of belonging. This comparative analysis of the Feijenoord municipal library and the self-organized reading room Leeszaal in Rotterdam reveals that libraries serve not only as information centers but also as vital platforms for community empowerment and activism. The Feijenoord library emphasizes structured activities to promote social connections, while the Leeszaal encourages spontaneous interactions, fostering a flexible and inclusive community environment. The findings underline the potential of libraries in redefining social relations and action in communities. It suggests that libraries can address urban inequalities by facilitating dialogue, activism, and local initiatives. To fully recognize this potential, allocating municipal support for library initiatives becomes vital, reinforcing their role as catalysts for community building and key actors in sustainable, equitable urban development.

In this study, we focus on the redevelopment of urban villages in China and the roles and evolutions of the commons that holds together these special villages. Urban villages are essentially villages that have become enveloped by the rapid expansion of cities. Villages in China collectively own their rural land, unlike state-owned urban land. This difference in ownership rights played a significant role in the formation of urban villages. While the state could develop land around the villages, the village land itself was often left untouched, leading to these pockets of rurality within the city. Due to this unique land ownership situation, development within urban villages often occurs informally. Many regulations and planning guidelines that apply to state-owned urban land do not apply to urban villages.

As millions of migrant workers seek jobs in cities, many settled in urban villages where housing is affordable. To accommodate the increasing demand for housing, the construction in urban villages happens incrementally and organically, with villagers adding floors to their houses or building new structures. They may not adhere to building codes and safety regulations. This gives rise to unique forms of urban villages such as densely packed “handshake buildings”. Because many migrant workers do not have a Hukou (i.e., a permanent residence permit) at the city where they work, they cannot access formal social benefits (e.g., education, healthcare, property ownership) provided by the city government. But they may rely on the services operated informally by community groups or businesses without licenses in the urban village. Some see urban villages as places where commons flourishes.

Notably, in contrast to the widespread demolition of urban villages in megacities over the past few decades, reuse and preservation techniques have emerged as the primary means of enhancing the value of urban villages in recent years. Nantou's redevelopment is the case in point. With an emphasis on preserving its historical heritage, which spans 1,700 years, Nantou has been developed primarily as a site with mixed uses, cultural and residential. Some of the original residents and businesses remained. We use ethnographic methods, including document research and interviews with actors to uncover the dynamics between the state, formal neighbourhood committees and informal community groups in the redevelopment of Nantou, and the roles and evolution of commons for and under redevelopment.

The proposed paper discusses participatory design as a commoning practice in urban environments. Urban development often prioritises growth, leading to conflicts between commercial interests and the ethical considerations of local communities and the environment. The research has been built upon a three-year research/practice/educational project titled Common Gardens, which took place 2023-2026 as a collaboration between Loughborough Farm and London South Bank University, Division of Architecture. The farm, founded in 2013 by the volunteer-led charity LJAG, transformed an abandoned plot into a community and ecological asset. In 2022, they secured a 25-year lease to remain on site, but the redevelopment resulted in the loss of a mindfulness garden. The goal of the project was to reinstate this space. Each year concluded with a design intervention and a public event, culminating in the creation of a learning garden to celebrate and share farm knowledge.

Since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, increasingly more built environment professionals have adopted dual roles as volunteers, blending activism with professional practice to mediate these competing priorities. This is especially relevant for architects, who have ethical considerations embedded in their code of conduct. Through the lens of commoning, design becomes an inclusive and transformative practice. It serves not only to reclaim urban territories for community ownership but also to restore ethical agency within the architectural profession.

This study investigates participatory strategies as a way for built environment professionals to regain agency and resolve conflicts between commercial development imperatives and ethical considerations in urban design. It explores how buildings can serve as artefacts of land claims and as sites for negotiation. It raises questions about how these processes can cultivate alternative relationships, such as those involving volunteer consultants and suppliers. Finally, the study examines how participatory design can create meaningful impacts and resolutions in urban development, using commoning as a framework for ethical and inclusive transformation.