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Squatting to (re)produce urban commons


Résumé
This project examines how communities and organizations self-organize beyond the conventional logics of the market and the state to create and govern commons. At the heart of this research is the concept of "commoning" — the way civil society organizes itself to support collaborative communities where social relations are regulated not by the market or the state, but by communal exchange and social bonds. The project takes the case of squats as extreme cases of urban commons. Through their anti-market nature and often illegal settings, squats intend to reclaim the commons, reduce inequalities, and target decommodification. Empirically, this includes research on squatter communities in Brussels and their institutional work to achieve visibility and acceptance in their neighbourhoods.


Mots-clés

Urban Commons | Collective Action | Community Organizing | Institutional Work


Outils méthodologiques
Ethnography | Participant Observation | Qualitative Research


Description

Objectifs : 

  1. Analyse how commoners create, sustain, and reproduce urban commons through commonig practices
  2. Examine the impacts of communing practices on community tensions
  3. Analyse the institutional work of commoners to increase urban commons resilience.
 


Partenaires

  • CEESE-ULB
  • UCLouvain


Publications et documents liés au projet


Période :                          01/10/2024 – 31/12/2026

Organisme financeur :   F.R.S. - FNRS

Chercheuses :                     Carolin MAAßEN, Alina SPANUTH
Mis à jour le 5 mai 2026