Communities as Global Actors in Counterhegemonic Policy Mobilities: Lessons from the Community Land Trust Movement

Abstract

This article argues that the connectedness among low-income urban communities is often undervalued by supporting organizations and in policy mobilities studies. These communities are considered local case studies, disregarding their global relational dynamics. To illustrate their role in the circulation of policy ideas, we explore the global Community Land Trust (CLT) movement as commons-based resistance which continues to expand through community-to-community collaborations. Emphasizing the contributions of these urban communities to counterhegemonic policy mobilities is crucial to develop more effective approaches that address the needs of the “urban poor.” Describing the global trajectory of the Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust from Puerto Rico, we argue that long-lasting social change—and a true commoning of knowledge—can only occur when grassroots organizations are recognized as active stakeholders in the mobilities process, rather than being treated as mere subjects of study.

Keywords

• policy mobilities
• policy circulation
• community exchanges
• community land trust
• south-south
• counterhegemonic policy mobilities