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The commons needs gardeners
The commons is a bonsai, and we are all its artists-gardeners.
Sure, we could let it grow wild and unruly: it could be abandoned to the law of the jungle—left as a free-for-all—or fall victim to the tragedy of the commons, and shrivel due to overexploitation.
But because we, as a collective, prune it from time to time, give it shape, direct and guide it according to common values and principles, placing intentional constraints, co-creating community-led boundaries (both explicit and implicit, written and unwritten) and shared governance structures, we will produce a healthy organism, one that can thrive for centuries.
It is not a bonsai because of its diminutive size. On the contrary, the commons can be as ever expanding as the universe. It is a bonsai in the sense that it reflects the instinctive care humans often display towards our environment, our ingenuity, creativity and innovation in defining and supporting its underlying structure and deep network of contributors, and the respect for the shared, delicate ecosystem in which we all live, in harmony with the surrounding landscape.
The commons is a community-owned bonsai that we nurture for the public good, for collective benefit and equitable sharing of its resources. When defining its shape, we make decisions together, in a spirit of collaboration; we engage in community stewardship. Its long-term management requires active, deliberate, sensitive, and continuous care and cultivation that combines natural, organic development balanced with thoughtful limitations to ensure its sustainability for future generations.
We can take cuttings to plant new ideas and grow our shared knowledge. We can pluck its leaves, here and there, because we know others will grow, contributing to a (re)generative cycle. We all benefit when, guided by a collective sense of human dignity, we contribute to shaping and vivifying the commons.
What’s next? A few more Commons Stories, then over to you!
Next in the Commons Stories, we’ll explore the commons as a commitment and finally as a resistance. Then we’ll turn from reflection to imagination with “I’m dreaming of an open future …”, a new invitation for you to share your own hopes for what comes next.
Posted 28 October 2026