The Center Won’t Hold Pavilion / The Open Workshop

The numerous vacant lots in Chicago represent urban inequity that is propelled by—and a symptom of— property ownership. As more residents are living in precarity, the urban commons, wherein a shared resource is collectively managed and governed, have taken on new importance. By sharing resources, residents can have access to more resources without an economic burden. While domestic commons (or communes) have historically offered meaningful forms of agency to residents, they have struggled to become a widespread model for living.