Collective Governance of the Urban Commons: the Case of Parkovy Ozera Residential Complex in Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract: The problem of governing resources used by many individuals in common has been long discussed in economics and environmental studies literature. Depending on the type of common resource, attributes of the group of users and property regime, collective action can either preserve the commons or deplete it. The condition of common resources in urban areas is currently affected by privatization and deregulation of public services, as well as by dismantlement of the traditional residential community due to rapid urbanization. As cities get densified by large-scale urban development projects, the urban commons is either privatized or left in open access. While the latter put the commons at risk of wasteful usage, the former limits access to shared resources to a group of privileged users at a cost of excluding others.This paper investigates the condition of urban commons in urban residential areas. The specific context brought for analysis is conceptualized through the residential enclosure phenomenon, which typically finds it manifestation in gated communities. The study also focuses on areas where local governmental control over the urban commons significantly declined. The research is based on the empirical case of Parkovy Ozera residential complex in Kyiv, Ukraine. The studied area is explored with methods of spatial analysis, urban ethnography and institutional analysis.A specific attention in the paper is devoted to the emerging institutions for collective action in the case study. The research analyzes socio-economic and institutional challenges to collective action in the residential complex. The empirical modeling of collective action challenges in the case study is presented through three real-life situations that describe governing the urban commons as a dynamic process.The research also critically explores property right as a mechanism for governing the commons, with reference to the concept of bundle of rights. Describing limitations to privatization of the commons, the study offers a broader and more complex definition of urban enclosure. It also discusses limitations to collective action embedded in a local resource system, particularly the issues of scale and self-sufficiency. The study concludes with policy recommendations to local and national stakeholders in regards to fostering collective action in residential enclosures and avoiding exclusion of weaker social groups from the urban commons.