‘Gluing’ alternative imaginaries of sustainable urban futures: When commoning and design met in the post-socialist neighbourhood of Mănăștur, Romania

Abstract

Imagination is key to transforming societal values and everyday life practices towards sustainable urban futures by allowing us to see alternatives. We propose that glimpses into other futures exist, illustrated by bottom-up practices of urban commoning. By allowing the experience of alternatives on a human scale and in everyday life, commoning practices can help accelerate sustainability transitions. Using the case of a post-socialist Romanian neighbourhood, Mănăstur, we discuss how design might support the coproduction of alternative imaginaries by creatively engaging with practices of commoning. We do this through the lens of ‘gluing’, which we conceptualise as a situated, mediated, and relational approach to investigating this coproduction process. Rather than aiming for a direct transfer, replication or expansion of the visions generated through commoning, design could provide experiential tools that allow communities to shape their own futures, while making room for differences in perspectives and values. Our findings contribute to the fields of experiential and everyday futures, at the intersection with design and sustainability transitions. To democratise sustainable futures, we suggest that the coproduction of alternative imaginaries needs to involve co-designing with communities, material engagement with wider issues surrounding sustainability, and open-ended and ongoing processes that foster capabilities for collective action.