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Municipalist syndicalism: Organizing the new working class
9th September 2017The emergence of the new municipalist agenda coincides with the decline of labor unions. Unless they are incorporated, the working class will not be fully present in the definition and implementation of a new, radical political agenda. In order to become the essential part of...
Utopia, not futurism: Why doing the impossible is the most rational thing we can do
2nd October 2019On August 24, 1978, Murray Bookchin gave a lecture in Amherst, Massachusetts. In his speech, Bookchin argued against the ideology of futurism and for ecological utopianism. In the Q&A session, he pointed out that he was not against technology itself, he was against technocracy, and...
Dual power then and now: from the Iroquois to Cooperation Jackson
22nd December 2019For centuries, workers have organized themselves in order to collectively resist the oppressive and exploitative forces of capital. From the early 1900s to the current day, the most common form of worker organizing has been the labor union. With the rise of urbanization, over half...
The new municipalism (part 1)
30th January 2020What is “New Municipalism”? In this first of a new series Ross seeks clarification from scholar-activists Bertie Russell and Matt Thompson who give us a conceptual and historical take on this new urban movement, offering reflections on UK examples like Preston. Photo: Henry & Co.
Meet Cargonomia, the eco-friendly cooperative championing degrowth in Budapest
1st October 2019Cargonomia connects sustainable food production with the promotion of low-carbon transport solutions and advocacy for bicycle use. Every year, it organizes about 50 workshops for academics, children or the general public on topics ranging from sustainability and up-cycling to local food production, degrowth and the...
The Spanish democracy revolutions
6th May 2016In Spain, where indignation is rife, four post-capitalist strategies are at work: Catalan independence, autonomous spaces, networked democracy, and radical municipalism.These strategies—distinct but with the potential to fuse together—could reshape the political landscape beyond recognition.
Decentralising geographies of political action: Civic tech and placebased municipalism
1st January 2019“Place-based civic tech”, citizen engagement technology codesigned by local government, civil society and global volunteers, constitutes a priced tool for the decentralization of power and decision-making. Together with certain offline practices, it fosters the politicization of civil society and renews the infrastructure of democracy. In...
Our cities only serve the wealthy. Coronavirus could change that
2nd June 2020A set of intersecting crises has made urban life increasingly difficult for all but the wealthy. Housing has become unaffordable and insecure. Work has become casualised and wages have stagnated, leaving many workers unable to sustain an adequate standard of living. Despite pretensions towards multiculturalism,...
Why libertarian municipalism is more needed today than ever before
25th November 2018We can understand almost all of today’s crises to be crises of democracy. Representative ‘democracy’ has turned people from empowered citizens to alienated constituents. Libertarian municipalism, which promotes direct democracy, is an essential tool to regain power at the citizen level and provide solutions to...
Urban sanctuary: The promise of solidarity cities
21st July 2017Activists in Berlin have been trying to adopt the concept of Sanctuary City to try to improve urban living conditions while simultaneously work on the further development of the political concept itself. Learning from other self proclaimed cities of change, rebel cities or solidarity cities ...
Portland just passed the best low-density zoning reform in US history
11th August 2020Portland’s city council has set a new bar for North American housing reform by legalizing up to four homes on almost any residential lot. It’s the most pro-housing reform to low-density zones in US history. Portland’s new rules will also offer a “deeper affordability” option:...
How can we implement direct democracy in European cities?
31st July 2019An interview with Bernardo Gutierrez, responsible for the Innovation Laboratories of MediaLab Prado de Madrid at the Our Common City conference held in Budapest (February 22 & 23, 2019). Part one: Part two: Photo: Joel Filipe