An academic–community collaboration reimagining brownfield land as urban commons
Towards an Urban Commons was a partnership project between Urban Wilderness CIC and Keele University, developed with Dr Ben Anderson and supported by funding from the Keele Institute for Social Inclusion (KISI). The project explored how shared values, collective care, and community-led stewardship could shape the future of brownfield land in Stoke-on-Trent.
The project centred on an online symposium held on 20th April 2020, which brought together artists, academics, community organisers and place-based practitioners to reflect on questions of access, ownership, care and governance of disused urban space. These conversations directly informed a set of guiding principles for an Urban Commons Charter.
Participants in the symposium included:
Ben Anderson, Chris Barker, Hannah Barker, Sophie Forge, Laurel Gallagher, Nichola Goff, Jenny Hallam, Paul Hallam, Jenny Harper, Rod Kippen, Derek McGhee, Ceri Morgan, Isla Telford, Gemma Thomas, Susan Venn, Nicola Winstanley
Following the symposium, Urban Wilderness worked with partners to translate these discussions into tangible outputs. This included the production of Urban Commons Charter posters, printed using traditional heritage letterpress by Small Print Company, embedding the values of collective making and care within the process itself.
Alongside the physical outputs, a public-facing Urban Commons network was established to continue dialogue, share learning, and support emerging collaborations across the city. The project laid early foundations for ongoing partnerships between artists, communities and institutions, and continues to inform Urban Wilderness’s approach to civic space, governance and cultural regeneration.
Towards an Urban Commons remains a key reference point within Urban Wilderness’s archive — marking a moment where shared thinking, mutual care and collective authorship were placed at the centre of how brownfield land and other urban spaces might be shaped together.