Queering urban commons: (re)negotiating space, time, labor, and power in marginal urbanities

Abstract. Urban land and housing have become increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible for many in Switzerland – especially for people negatively affected by structures of discrimination. Urban commons have long been discussed as a means to address these challenges and as possible spaces of resistance amidst capitalist relations. However, prevailing power relations within the commons are rarely addressed in these debates, including within the fields of geography and urban studies. Using participatory observations in Swiss marginal urban commons, this brief intervention examines how attending to queer perspectives and practices of organizing space, time, and labor can provide a critical lens for exploring negotiations of intersectional power dynamics within commoning. This approach also contributes to broadening discussions on the potential of commoning to foster resistance against capitalist urban relations in Switzerland and beyond.