Abstract
ABSTRACT Commoning processes catalysed by practices such as collective gardening are regarded as especially potent in enabling just sustainability. However, many urban gardening projects terminate. This article investigates what remains of the sustainability capacities they foster, some years after their spaces have been closed. It asks what endures from their commoning efforts. To answer this, the paper investigates three collective gardening projects in Bucharest with social inclusion and cross-class goals, which have closed during 2019–2021. The analysis follows how each of the three case studies related to three essential aspects of commoning – building collectivity, autonomy and redistribution of space. It shows how these aspects, potentially contributing to sustainability ideals, were reflected 2–3 years after the gardens were closed. The paper contributes to current discussions on commoning, urban gardening and sustainability, by showing how – although essential commoning aspects (such as collectivity building and autonomy) can endure and can outgrow from terminated gardens to other spaces, feeding into a long history of gardening – the cross-class aspects fade away with these transpositions. It also reveals that what endures and outgrows from closed gardening projects is tied to structural historical contexts, their legacies and transformations.
Published Version
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