Städtebau-Kolloquium – Against the commons: Elements for a radical planning theory – Álvaro Sevilla Buitrago

Can we approach the history of urbanization in a way that is faithful to the predicament of vulnerable communities and operative to ongoing emancipatory projects? Can these narra- tives speak to broader analyses of social change and struggles for democracy? This lecture presents an attempt to address these questions, based on the speaker’s recent book, Against the Commons: A Radical History of Urban Planning.

Tracing the struggle for the commons over three centuries, this book examines the role of spatial politics in the development of capitalism and the decollectivization of society. The talk will offer an overview of the conceptual framework and historical arc of the project, paying particular attention to its epistemological premises and political implications. The talk is intended as an invitation to discuss the conditions that can turn spatial research into a foundation for an alter- native theory of urbanization and an agenda for social transformation.