Fostering systemic and emancipatory research in cities

Abstract

In an era of evolving societal and sustainability challenges, urban scholars have turned to interdisciplinary practices and transdisciplinary approaches to embark on more impactful research in cities. These scholars work across disciplinary, institutional and organizational boundaries in the design of research that responds to the complex dynamics of managing common pool resources in urban environments. However, embracing epistemic differences in collaborative work between disciplines can be difficult, with a need for research designs to engage with the wider systemic issues in urban contexts. This short communication draws from the theories and research of Elinor Ostrom and her co-authors about managing and governing the shared commons, to empower scholars to do research that spans disciplines and is both systemic in approach and emancipatory in nature. We provide the intellectual grounding for the City and Environment Interactions research community to achieve this. We conclude that by adopting more inclusive methods in the co-production of cities research, urban scholars, practitioners and citizens can be freed from prior assumptions, to imagine unbounded possibilities for the future.