Les communs urbains à l’épreuve du terrain : le cas des lieux de fabrication numérique

Abstract

The emergence of more and more places dedicated to digital practices or experimental manufacturing such as fablabs and hackerspaces can be seen. Their operating principles and the views with which they identify, that are closely tied to the New Communalists and American countercultures, resonate strongly with the notions of common goods, knowledge commons and urban commons. Some contributions and contradictions of these places in terms of these notions are highlighted in a comparative study. Since the notion of urban commons is originally defined as being shared and open spaces, managed by a community within specific governance, the study of these types of places in this paper brings new aspects to light. It is argued that they exhibit specific hybrid spatialities due to online and offline practices. These spaces are complex and vulnerable as they are fraught with tensions. However, they are also indeterminate and experimental, opening up the concept of public space and bringing new avenues of reflection on the question of urban commons.

Keywords

• territory
• place
• urban commons
• digital fabrication
• commons