Urban Grit: Probing the Urban Commons With Residents of Oliver Bond Housing Complex in Dublin, Ireland

Urban Grit is a collaborative project, focusing on greening deficits in inner city Dublin, Ireland. A particular case study – the Oliver Bond House, in the south west inner city, is explored. The aim of the research was to develop “nature probes” – to make visible the role of the urban commons in this everyday environment. The paper traces how we reached the point of greenspace deficit in this part of Dublin and how we can operationalise and conceptualise practices of urban commoning pertaining to greening. Writing as academics and practitioners, this collaborative approach of “commoning our knowledge” supports communities who are undergoing rapid urban change. In doing so, it contributes to more nuanced conceptions of commons in marginalised urban communities.