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Artwork for Frontiers of Commoning,

Frontiers of Commoning, with David Bollier

The Schumacher Center for a New Economics, David Bollier
Commoning
Commons
Urban Design
Relationality
Gentrification
Red Vienna
Atlas Of Commoning
Participatory Urbanism
Community Design
Cooperative Housing
Tactical Urbanism
Acupuncture Urbanism
Mutual Aid
Social Justice
Cecosesola
Indigenous Wisdom
Pirate Care
Desert Oases
Degrowth
Gift Economy

A monthly conversation with creative activists pioneering new forms of commoning.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes76Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for Frontiers of Commoning,

Latest Episodes

With collaborators Stephen Ellcock and Annabel Edwards, British photographer and filmmaker Leah Gordon has produced a gloriously eccentric and sumptuous folk history of land rights, enclosure and resistance among English commoners. Their book, 'Commo... more

By applying commoning practices in rural towns in the Italian Alps, Bianca Elzenbaumer, a community economies designer and cofounder of Brave New Alps, is catalyzing many new forms of rural development and ecosocial transformation. Working from a rep... more

In his new book 'Ecocivilization', Jeremy Lent offers a bracing vision for how humanity can escape the destructive imperatives of capitalism and create ecologically centered societies that work for everyone. The book draws on dozens of real-world pro... more

Benjamin Mako Hill has spent years studying the distinctive social dynamics and governance structures of collaborative websites, from open source software (GNU/Linux), wikis (Wikipedia), collaborative filtering (Reddit) and a range of social media. A... more

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Recent Guests

Leah Gordon
British photographer, artist, curator, writer, and filmmaker focusing on histories of the Caribbean plantation system, enclosure, and working-class land rights
Independent artist/curator
Episode: Leah Gordon's Stunning Visual History of Radical English Commoners
Bianca Elzenbaumer
Longtime pioneer in community economies and commons in the Italian Alps
Brave New Alps; Alpine Community Economies Lab; La Foresta
Episode: Brave New Alps: Catalyzing a Rural Resurgence through Commoning
Jeremy Lent
Author of Ecocivilization
Author, Ecocivilization
Episode: 'Ecocivilization': Jeremy Lent's Bracing Vision of System Change
Benjamin Mako Hill
Social scientist and technologist; professor at University of Washington; free software activist and researcher of knowledge commons
University of Washington
Episode: Benjamin Mako Hill on the Distinctive Dynamics of Online Collaboration
Federico Savini
Leading scholar and advocate for economic degrowth
University of Amsterdam
Episode: Federico Savini on Degrowth and Its Future
Stéphanie Leyronas
Research fellow specializing in the commons at AFD
Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Episode: Stéphanie Leyronas on France's Bold Experiment in Commons-based Development
Lewis Hyde
Scholar, essayist, literary critic and poet
Kenyon College (retired)
Episode: Lewis Hyde on Gift Economies & Cultural Commons
Stephanie Rearick
Founder of the Madison Mutual Aid Network Cooperative; Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks
Madison Mutual Aid Network Cooperative; Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks
Episode: Stephanie Rearick on Building Social Wealth through Mutual Aid
Kriti Sharma
Professor of critical race science and technology studies
UC Santa Cruz
Episode: The Future Requires a Politics of Relationality

Host

David Bollier
Host of Frontiers of Commoning; engages in deep, cross-disciplinary discussions about the commons, democracy, and transformative social change.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 72 ratings
  • Deception

    Deceptive or just institutionalized

    No bueno!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    WeCircle1
    United States2 months ago
  • Hopeful

    This show is incredible as a resource for anyone wondering how we might push past infinite growth (and therefore inherently deadly) capitalism. It does not just pose some ideas for an alternative, and slightly less damaging form of capitalism, it offers a sober and inspiring ontological shift in our understanding of value and the potential of human collective action. It also will not ask you to choose one way or belief, but rather how commons, markets and households can all weave together in a v... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    C. Beer
    United Statesa year ago
  • Nerdy, factual, inspiring, educational. Audio quality can be hit and miss though.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Aurorespera
    a year ago
  • Nerdy, factual, inspiring, educational.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    warrior woods
    3 years ago
  • Frontiers of Commoning

    This podcast is so inspirational and full of vision of a future that works for a healthy planet and a healthy minded humanity. I couldn’t recommend it more highly! Ganesh Himal

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Denise Attwood
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, practical on how to reimagine value beyond growth
Some listeners find the scope broad or dense at times
Inspiring sustenance for people wanting transformative change
Notable for linking theory to real-world cooperatives and communities

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Leah Gordon's Stunning Visual History of Radical English Commoners
Q: Tell me how some of these rights persisted and why they were not just utterly eradicated by enclosures.
The discussion covers vestigial rights attached to houses, highland common grazing, and the persistence of local practices like heftened flocks, illustrating how some rights survive through social memory and local arrangements even as formal enclosure transforms land use.
Leah Gordon's Stunning Visual History of Radical English Commoners
Q: Could you talk about why you wanted to include some of these alternative commoners, lifestyle commoners, you might say?
Leah explains meeting Annabel Ellcock and documenting New Age travelers, festivals, anti-nuke protests, and allotment culture, arguing that contemporary commoners demonstrate that commoning is not just historical but a lived, evolving practice across diverse communities.
Brave New Alps: Catalyzing a Rural Resurgence through Commoning
Q: What have you learned about money and governance in pursuing these commons projects?
The guest emphasizes that money can either hijack the process or bolster it when the vision is clear; starting with needs, building a strong group, and letting funding follow helps preserve the integrity and energy of the community while enabling scalable impact.
Brave New Alps: Catalyzing a Rural Resurgence through Commoning
Q: Could you describe how Brave New Alps started and how you connected with the Alpine community to catalyze change?
Bianca explains that the initiative grew from a feminist, embodied design approach learned during her studies and field experiences; by staying embedded in communities, listening actively, and co-designing spaces like train-station commons, they built trust and a shared sense of purpose that allowed money to come in later as a validation of their process.
Stéphanie Leyronas on France's Bold Experiment in Commons-based Development
Q: How does the World Bank fit into this?
There is a cautious but ongoing engagement; the World Bank published a governance-focused report and later included a book on the Commons in its flagship series, signaling gradual openness but not a radical shift.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Frontiers of Commoning,

What is Frontiers of Commoning, about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, idea-driven program exploring how communities and institutions can operate outside traditional market logics by emphasizing shared resources, mutual aid, and governance based on cooperation. Across recent episodes, hosts and guests dissect topics like degrowth, the politics of the commons, bioregionalism, open protocols, and relational forms of governance, blending theory with practical case studies—from global development programs and cooperative networks to local food systems and digital commons. The conversations often center on how to reimagine economics, technology, and democracy to serve people and the planet, rather than profits alone, with a clear emphasis on lived experimentation and long-term culture change. Notewort... more

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1. Planet: Critical
2. The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
3. Accidental Gods
4. Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff
5. Wild with Sarah Wilson

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Frontiers of Commoning, launched 6 years ago and published 76 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Frontiers of Commoning,?

Recent guests on Frontiers of Commoning, include:

1. Leah Gordon
2. Bianca Elzenbaumer
3. Jeremy Lent
4. Benjamin Mako Hill
5. Federico Savini
6. Stéphanie Leyronas
7. Lewis Hyde
8. Stephanie Rearick

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