The Urban Commons as a Shared Space of One’s Own: Appropriation, Commoning and the Welfare State

Urban, historical commons exist in several Western cities. Such urban commons are interesting in how rights of access and use of land have been negotiated over time in the same space. Furthermore, they are never enclosed or locked, and they are important for health and leisure in cities where the amount of green space per capita decreases. Urban commons are spaces where people, in spite of very different backgrounds, co-inhabit and create meaning and belonging in public space. Based on archival material, 33 structured interviews and participant observations this article investigates the various spatial practices that take place in Enskifteshagen in Malmö Sweden, a historical common converted into a green space in the 1940s and still in use. The article uses appropriation and commoning in its analysis to capture urban simultaneity in terms of access and rights of use. In addition to previous research on urban commons, the study shows that everyday casual use, memories, and sensory experiences are crucial for a deeper sense of meaning-making and belonging. The article discusses the implications of the urban context, the Swedish welfare state and the historical connotations of urban commons. In conclusion the article suggests that the contemporary urban commons can be defined as a shared space of one’s own.