ABSTRACT
This conclusion identifies key themes that emerge from the research presented in the monograph and makes the case for urban commons to be given a greater role as a special and distinct category of green “space”. This chapter identifies two themes that are characteristic of the modern urban common. These are, first, a disconnect between the “formal” (or legal) classification of urban commons and community attitudes to “ownership”, identity and belonging. A second theme concerns public attitudes to the relevance (or otherwise) of long usage of the space to creating community “rights” for the public to use it – rights that are not always reflected in the “formal” (or legal) identity of the commons. The conclusion also reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and on the way in which it has highlighted the importance of making more green space available for urban communities – and considers how we can protect and extend our urban commons to meet this challenge. It argues that rather than focusing on the existing outdated and confusing legal classification of green space, we need to revisit our understanding of urban commons to reflect contemporary priorities and needs. This conclusion argues for the adoption of a new functional definition of urban commons. This should focus on the ecosystem services that contemporary urban commons provide for the community rather than on their origins and legal definition. It should also focus attention on the much-needed ecosystem services that designating new urban commons could provide.
