Urban Commons in Italy

The Italian experience with urban commons has been very rich indeed. In the last ten years or so the number of social and legal initiatives relating to urban commons in Italy has exploded. The present Italian situation shows that urban commons are here to stay. By now, they are part of the collective imagination, of political and socio-economic transformative projects, of administrative practices, and of the law.

The demand for the commons in the city originates from the social movements that intend to resist the penetration of the market and of private property in every ambit of life but is by no means confined to that end of the political spectrum. The idea of social solidarity and the demand for autonomy underpinning many discourses over the commons is more widely shared, as it draws upon legacy of liberal socialism and catholic social thought as well. Reference to several articles of the Italian constitution in all the rules and regulations enacted by over 200 Italian cities, towns, and villages all along the peninsula, and in the laws enacted by several Italian Regions, show that providing the commons with appropriate legal regimes is a constitutionally viable strategy, although, for the moment Italy has no national legislation on the matter.