ANN ARBOR'S COMMUNITY COMMONS RESOURCES

Ann Arbor Resources

Information about the growing Community Commons in Ann Arbor, and how the Commons started to grow!

Educational Resources

Educate yourself on the Commons around the world to better understand how you can build the commons!

Global Resources

Observe Commons success around the globe, and see how their success can mean success in Ann Arbor!

Our Commons Resources

Ann Arbor’s Community Commons is a growing social enterprise and we are happy to share our resources. When you’re done reading, head on over to the discussion boards to engage in the conversation with fellow commoners.

Center of the City Task Force Report 2020

This report provides Ann Arbor ‘s City Council with recommendations on the next steps for the public space on the Library Block and the development of a Civic Center Commons.

Read about the resolution and the progress of the task force which conducted the community research to help establish and launch the Center of the City Commons.

Additional Resources

Commoning Resources are plentiful and we have attempted to assemble some resources for various topics to acquaint Ann Arbor Residents with the Commoning Movement, and how it could grow in Ann Arbor.

The Commons and Ann Arbor

As Ann Arbor sets out to cultivate its own local Commons, understanding the basics and how we can help each other will help all Citizens to come together as equals for their mutual benefit.

Co-Cities and Commons Around the Globe

‘Co-Cities’ who practice Commoning is a growing endeavor in major cities around the world. Many cities have developed their own unique systems that use their local resources for the good of the local citizens.

Commons Currency Resources

One of the key components of successful Commons is to establish a local value exchange system which is often known as a ‘commons currency’. Commons members come together and negotiate a value exchange of time, credit, and services, which uses resources they have on hand to enrich and support their local communities and local economy.

Educational Resources

Understanding and educating ourselves and others on what the Commons is and how it can serve the community is important to growth of the Ann Arbor Commons. To begin this process, a ‘reading room’ of books donated by local Commoners has been assembled and is available to the public.

 

Reading Room Resources

As part of the commons creation, continuing education in commoning is essential- so the Community Commons has started developing a Reading Room. The Center of the City Commons place itself can become a “teaching place” in demonstrating sustainability technology, best practices, and green ways of living.

The Commons According to David Bollier

David Bollier is an advocate for the Commons, and has spent years discussing it's value and methods with the public. He has taken his discussions of the Commons and what it can achieve in Cities and Communities around the globe and still works to bring the Commons

How can we use "commoning" as a process to transform the social paradigm of our current system?
The Next System Project
There is increasing international interest in the current discourse of "the Commons" as a paradigm of governance shared by an entire community. The appeal of the Commons stems both from an insightful critique of neoliberal economics and policy, as well as from its practical systems for managing value.
American Academy in Berlin
Thom speaks with Davi Bollier, author of "Think Like A Commoner", about how our country should value the land and resources that we all share together.
Thom Hartmann Program
A new type of citizen economy is emerging – the City as a Commons. This is not a tech platform or economic strategy as such, but a bold re-imagining of the city as a living social organism that invites everyone to co-create, open-source style.
Smart City Expo World Congress