The commoning of urban space as a practice for commons formation: The case of Gyeonguiseon

The concept of commons, originally referred to shared natural resources managed collectively by a community, has evolved over time. In contemporary scholarship, in response to the argumentation envisioning the failure of commons caused by the utilitarianism of individuals that would lead to the exploitation of the resources, the neo-institutionalist paradigm sustained that the democratic management of common resources could be sustainable under specific circumstances. In the mid-1990s, the emergence of the new commons paradigm expanded the debate on intangible resources and urban studies. Converging with critical urban theory in the criticism of current society, urban commons emerge as a potential response to privatization and space enclosure. The Gyeonguiseon Commons in Seoul exemplified an interesting case of social transformative use of urban space. Following the squatting of the Gyeonguiseon rail tracks, the square was used as a shelter for individuals displaced amid urbanization. This case helps illustrate the range of challenges that alternative social organizations face in urban settings. The work’s first section, after a brief overview of the evolution of the commons debate, introduces the analytical frameworks adopted in this study. The second section presents the Gyeonguiseon case and, finally, the work provides insights concerning the challenges embedded in the management of the urban commons.