Commons Magazine

Commons Magazine is your gateway to the latest thinking and action in the commons movement. We pay close attention to how communities around the world are discovering the commons as a way to solve problems and to share what belong to all of us equitably – including future generations. You’ll find profiles of everyday people making a difference, groundbreaking ideas that will prove useful in your own life, as well as current news examined in fresh ways through a commons lens.

January 2013 Edition

Who Should Pay the Costs of Climate Change?

Increasingly frequent disasters like Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Bopha raise the question of global sharing

The Triumph of the Commons

An excerpt from 55 Theses For the Future

December 2012 Edition

Should Taxpayers Subsidize Charity? A few surprises about giving in America	Our New Commons Book Free to You Download this handy guide showing why the commons matter more than ever in 2013
Lincoln, the Movie, and the Rest of the Story 150 years of struggle for minorities to gain power	Setting Free Our History Getting the commons into school curriculum will help students understand climate change (and a lot more)
A City Lover's Guide to Detroit The Motor City offers plenty for people excited about urban life and community revitalization	Be a Local (Economy) Hero This Holiday Season The old phrase “use or lose it” applies especially to neighborhood businesses
Hima: An Islamic Tradition of the Commons Middle Eastern greens revive Muhammad's vision of protecting special places for future generations	Nothing Says Native American Better Than White Girls in Headdresses A young Santee Sioux woman looks at how Native identity is reflected in pop culture
What Can Artists Do to Create Social Change? Filmmaker Rick Prelinger on the limits of short-term action

November 2012 Edition

The Money Commons A bold proposal to ensure some income for everyone	Icelanders Vote to Include Commons in Their Constitution 81 percent want resources not privately owned to be declared national property
Mayors Take Over the World The rising power of local government offers an opportunity to rebuild the commons	How to Get Fat Cat Money Out of Our Elections A commons-based solution for invigorating democracy in the U.S.
A Close Election, But Potentially A Transformative One A win for Obama and the Democrats opens a door for the commons	Mayors Are Taking Over the World From Paris to Charleston, South Carolina, local officials are fixing problems and restoring people’s hope in government
Create a Commons in Your Own Front Yard How a public bench transformed a suburban neighborhood

October 2012 Edition

A Stormy Reminder of Why We Need Government A job well done, from the local 911 switchboard to the White House	The Commons as a Transformative Vision Essay from a new book explains the world beyond market & state
My Common Education: Lessons From Open Field A Minneapolis Art Museum opens its grounds to community creativity	How New York City Kept Its Drinking Water Pure--And Saved Billions of Dollars 1st in a series looking at the unsung heroes who keep public water systems safe and efficient
A 500-Year Revolution of the Rich Against the Poor The loss of the Medieval commons still affects the world today	What Will Happen to Equal Protection Under the Law? The Supreme Court decides major issues like voting rights and marriage equality