The exhibition on display at the London School of Economics Atrium Gallery this month showcases the stimulating and challenging entries in the 2015 competition “Designing the Urban Commons.” The competition, presented by Theatrum Mundi, a network of urbanists and artists in many cities, asked entrants to re-imagine the urban spaces in London as places for collaboration, sharing and collective ownership. It was part of the London Festival of Architecture.
The Introduction to the competition suggests that the city is a collective physical and cultural creation by its inhabitants. Commoning, the collective ownership and management of resources is particularly interesting to explore in the confines of the urban environment. London, with an increasing trend toward privatization of public spaces in tension with a history of common rights, was an interesting case for exploring “commoning” in the making of the city.
Submissions ranged from platforms for finding spaces in the city, to schemes for collective building, and others.
An online gallery showcases all the entries and notes the ten winners of the juried competition.