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Reclaiming the Commons
by Emily Cole
This project explores the ways the commons can be reclaimed from the capitalist landscape, how communities can function symbiotically outside of monetary exchange, and how two communities can intertwine to form exciting, unexpected interactions and networks that form strong, dynamic communities.
Hyper-individualism is encouraged and celebrated in American society, but what does that mentality cost the collective? Space has become extremely commodified, shared resources are viewed as opportunities for exploitation, and private, [corporate] interests are routinely placed above those of communities. How can we reclaim the commons from the capitalist landscape? How can communities function symbiotically outside of monetary exchange?
The neighborhood of Poletown in Detroit, Michigan, once vibrant, thriving, and culturally rich, now appears desolate and rural. Despite protests from the community, the land was seized by GM in 1981 under “emminent domain,” and homes, small businesses, churches, schools, and hospitals were razed to make room for a new factory. Today much of the area is comprised of overgrown, empty lots and blighted buildings, more of an industrial wasteland than a place to call home. The land might seem barren, but it holds within it fruitful opportunities for regrowth if recovered for community interests.
Both the urban gardening and electronic music communities in Detroit have found unique ways to reclaim abandoned industrial spaces as commons. Urban gardening has had a long history in Detroit, dating back to the late 1800s. Even as the neighborhoods thinned over time, backyard and community gardens continued to flourish, often illegally due to zoning laws or by gardening on vacant lots that were unowned by those who planted on them. Community gardening efforts brought spaces of life, nourishment, and beauty to otherwise neglected land. Music has been a formative part of Detroit’s identity as well. The city has been called the “Birthplace of Techno,” and has produced many prominent techno artists over the last two decades, as well a spirited local scene and internationally recognized annual music festival. While the Packard Plant and other derelict buildings have been the more infamous underground spots for techno parties, the same spirit of bringing music, magic, and community to overlooked spaces is kept alive wherever they are held. This project explores the ways these two communities with different programmatic needs, but common ambitions, can intertwine to form exciting, unexpected interactions and networks that form strong, dynamic communities.