Urban Commons Cookbook: 8 interviews complete!

So I’ve now completed eight of the nine planned interviews for the Urban Commons Cookbook, which means that writing can now begin in earnest!

We decided to ask all of the projects the same questions, covering topics like how cooperation happens, how rules are enforced, how free-riding is prevented, and the advice they would give new projects. Based on this structure, we will be able to compare very different projects, from highly formalized cooperatives to highly decentralized and informal projects, and a wide variety of resources, from bike sharing to wind power.

I’m really excited how it’s coming along and for the next step: writing and comparative analysis. We’re hoping that we will not only be able to develop a useful handbook for commons projects and the policy-makers who want to support them, but also create a tool for comparing and contrasting projects in order to better understand success factors and common challenges. It’s fascinating work and I can’t wait to share my results with all of you!

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