Changing Rural Realities: Common Ownership of Resources and the Amplification of Development

Abstract

"The commons, economic development and societal participation. In the United States, these three ideas are rarely linked together because of a historical connection to the often idealized system of private property rights and a distrust of common ownership of property. The thinking about these systems is evolving as a result of increasing instability of land ownership. Progressively, areas that were agricultural cornerstones and models of self-sufficiency are becoming inundated by suburban sprawl and environmentally unsustainable development.

"With growing poverty and wealth disparities, rural and agriculturally dependent areas of the US should play an even more important role in ensuring economic sustainability and food sovereignty. Instead, land ownership is becoming more consolidated and families with historical ties to the land are unable to retain their connections to culture and community.

"This paper will examine how common ownership structures can improve community viability, market access for farmers, and environmental stewardship and sustainability. It will also address how unplanned ownership structures have been manipulated to damage the productive joint ownership of common resources. Finally, the paper will assess how common property ownership can contribute to increased political participation and empowerment."