place-based (local) economics

I spoke with two notable architects – Neeraj Bhatia and Antje Steinmüller – who have intensively studied the social and economic dynamics of co-living. This is a relatively neglected field of inquiry in architecture, housing development, and urban policy. But as my two interviewees explained, commoning can play a powerful role in expanding this overlooked sector of housing. 

Nottingham Trent University researcher Maimoona Waseem and Genevieve Shanahan of Cardiff University have recently published an academic paper that highlights Equal Care Co-op as an example of 'transformative social entrepreneurship.'

Josh talks to Cristobal, Wren, and Dayle, three of the people behind People's Plumbing, a worker cooperative operating on the Gift Economy model in Cleveland, OH.

Designed to process 15,000 kg of green leaves per day, the Sahya Tea Cooperative generates employment for more than 150 workers, most of them recruited from the agricultural working class and peasantry, while also protecting the interests of the peasants amongst the small tea growers.

Starting off as a small shop operating out of a loading bay to a thriving worker co-op that owns its own the entire building, has around 50 dedicated members and is a shining example of what worker cooperatives can accomplish. 

I reached out to David to talk about homes, ownership, and why rebuilding communities might be the last honest form of democracy left. 

Three existing care co-operatives explained how care co-ops work and shared their experiences of setting up a care co-op in their localities.

Practicing Social Ecology: From Bookchin to Rojava and Beyond, from Pluto Press, offers a compelling synthesis of ethnographic research, journalism and political analysis, combining the author's field research and her own activist experiences in a highly engaging and superbly accessible manner.

Founded on women’s liberation, ecological sustainability, and direct democracy, Rojava’s political system provides a dramatic alternative to the status quo values of patriarchy, capitalism, and the nation-state that define the Middle East and much of the world. 

Are you a business owner who is retiring or transitioning out? Don’t just close the door—pass the torch.