ABSTRACT
This chapter examines continuity and change in the land use and culture of urban commons. Often celebrated as remnants of the past in the present, urban commons hide a deeper story of change and adaptation. Our surviving urban commons cover a fraction of our original common land. Enclosure and development have eroded common land since the thirteenth century, with protection only really being secured by the Law of Property Act 1925. Even commons that resisted enclosure were subject to various encroachments, including the loss of land around their edges, the erection of buildings and the construction of roads across the space. The uses of urban commons have also changed over time with a gradual shift away from the exercise of traditional common rights to industrial and later recreational – and most recently environmental – purposes. Each of these changes has impacted the appearance of the space and how it is perceived by communities. Understanding the resilience of urban commons to historic change provides a foundation for thinking about how best to protect and use them in future.
