Reclaiming the urban commons in the border of cities

Authors

  • Wagner Rezende Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) – GOIÁS, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26439/limaq2026.n017.7122

Keywords:

Urban commons, Right to the city, Insurgent citizenship, Participatory urban design, Urban periphery

Abstract

This article presents a methodological and conceptual analysis of Quintal nos Bairros, a collaborative urban project developed between residents of peripheral neighbourhoods in Goiânia and the Federal University of Goiás. Grounded in debates on the right to the city, urban commons, and insurgent citizenship, the study examines the collective design of a public square as a shared urban space. The project adopts a framework of “plural praxis” —strategic, experimental, insurgent, reflective, and expressive— to articulate participatory design, technical collaboration, and community mobilisation. Through workshops, collective mapping, tactical urbanism actions, and the co-production of design proposals, the initiative sought to transform a neglected area into an inclusive public space while fostering social innovation and local development. Beyond its material outcomes, the project highlights the role of shared experience, collective imagination, and citizen participation in reclaiming urban commons in contexts marked by socio-spatial inequality.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Wagner Rezende, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) – GOIÁS, Brasil

    Arquitecto

References

Aguiton, C. (2019). Os bens comuns. In P. Solón (Ed.), Alternativas sistêmicas: bem viver, decrescimento, comuns, ecofeminismo, direitos da Mãe Terra e desglobalização. Elefante.

Borch, C. & Kornberger, M. (Eds.). (2015). Urban commons: Rethinking the city. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315780597

Borja, J. (2013). Revolución urbana y derechos ciudadanos. Alianza Editorial.

Carlos, E. (2015). Movimentos sociais e instituições participativas: efeitos do engajamento institucional nos padrões de ação coletiva. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Sociais, 30(88), 83-98. https://dx.doi.org/10.17666/308883-98/2015

Cruz, S. & Paulino, S. (2020). Urban commons in active mobility experiences. International Journal of the Commons, 14(1), 539-552. https://thecommonsjournal.org/articles/10.5334/ijc.1018

Dardot, P. & Laval, C. (2016). Comum: ensaio sobre a revolução no século xxi. Boitempo.

Del Gaudio, Ch., Oliveira, A. J., Franzato, C. (2015). Intersecções entre design estratégico e pesquisa-ação para promover processos participativos de reapropriação do espaço urbano. In K. d. M. Freire (Ed.). Design estratégico para a inovação cultural e social, 26-33. Kazuá.

Feinberg, A., Ghorbani, A., & Herder, P. (2021). Diversity and challenges of the urban commons: A comprehensive review. International Journal of the Commons, 15(1),1-20. https://thecommonsjournal.org/articles/10.5334/ijc.1033

Foster, S. R. & Iaione, C. (2019). Ostrom in the city: Design principles and practices for the urban commons. In D. Cole, B. Hudson, J. Rosenbloom (Eds.) Handbook of the study of the commons, 235-255. Routledge

Friendly, A. (2022). Insurgent planning in pandemic times: The case of Rio de Janeiro. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, (46), 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.13000

Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162 (3859), 1243-1248. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1724745

Hardt, M., & Negri, A. (2009). Commonwealth. Harvard University Presss; Belknap Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjsf48h

Hardt, M & Negri, A. (2016). Bem-estar comum. Record.

Harvey, D. (2012). Rebel cities: from the right to the city to the urban revolution. Verso.

Harvey, D. (2014). Cidades rebeldes: do direito à cidade à revolução urbana. Martins Fontes.

Hess, C. (2008, 14-18 July). Mapping the new commons. (Written presentation). The 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons, Cheltenham, United Kingdom.

Holston, J. (2013). Cidadania insurgente: disjunções da democracia e da modernidade no Brasil. Companhia das Letras.

Huybrechts, L., Dreessen, K., Schepers, S., & Calderon Salazar, P. (2016). Democratic dialogues that make cities ‘work’. Strategic Design Research Journal, 9(2), 100-111. https://www.revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/sdrj/article/view/sdrj.2016.92.05

Klein, N. (2001). Reclaiming the commons. New Left Review,(9), 81-89. https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii9/articles/naomi-klein-reclaiming-the-commons

Lefebvre, H. (2001). O direito à cidade. Centauro.

Linebaugh, P. (2008). The Magna Carta manifesto: Liberties and commons for all. University of California Press.

Manzini, E., Walker, S., & Wylant, B. (Eds.) (2008). Enabling solutions for sustainable living: A workshop. University of Calgary Press.

Miraftab, F. (2016). Insurgência, planejamento e a perspectiva de um urbanismo humano. Revista Brasileira de Estudos Urbanos e Regionais, 18(3), 363-377. https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.2016v18n3p363

Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge University Press.

Parker, P. & Schmidt, S. (2017). Enabling urban commons. CoDesign, 13(3), 202-213. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15710882.2017.1355000

Rawls, J. (1971). Uma teoria da justiça. Presença.

Rezende, W. (2022). Imagine a cidade: práxis plurais e a produção de lugares compartilhados. Cadernos de Pós-Graduação em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, 22(1), 32-49. https://doi.org/10.5935/cadernospos.v22n1p32-49

Selloni, D. & Manzini, E. (2016). Policy constellations as eco-systems of design actions: Exploring three cases of social innovation policies in Italy. Strategic Design Research Journal, 9(2), 128-136. https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/sdrj/article/view/sdrj.2016.92.07

Stavrides, S. (2016). Common space: The city as commons. Zed Books.

Suri, J. F. (2003). The experience of evolution: developments in design practice. The Design Journal, 6(2), 39-48. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/146069203789355471?utm_medium=article&utm_source=researchgate.net

Teli, M., Bordin, S., Menéndez Blanco, M., Orabona, G., De Angeli, A. (2015). Public design of digital commons in urban places: A case study. International Journal of Human Computer Studies, (81),17-30.

Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and politics of difference. Princeton University Press.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-24

Issue

Section

Sección Temática

How to Cite

Rezende, W. (2026). Reclaiming the urban commons in the border of cities. Limaq, 017, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26439/limaq2026.n017.7122