Urban heterotopia and the politics of the commons: A qualitative research on practices of commoning

The regulations made in the city in the presence of modern power and neoliberal urban policies affect the daily lives of individuals, their urban experiences, and the relations of individuals with each other in the urban space in the late capitalism period we are in. Cities are common spaces where many paths cross in daily life, but standardizing and restricting interventions have made them less so; constitutes an obstacle to the use, sharing, and construction of common spaces. Herein lies the importance of creating heterotopic spaces. Heterotopias are "alternative" locations where people of various identities can coexist and defy the market order. Heterotopias, which can create an alternative space, are important in opening a new urban politics to the discussion. In this study, the heterotopic spaces created in the 21st century's search for an alternative order against neoliberal urban policies and the market's regulation of urban space and commoning practices performed are the subject of the thesis. The purpose of the thesis is to discuss the politics of the commons, in Turkey and to reveal the perspectives and motivations of the actors involved in the commoning process. In this context, it is thought that the way to create heterotopic spaces is through commoning practices and the politics of the commons. For this reason, 15 interviewees from communities such as initiatives, city councils, district associations, city, and ecology advocacy, who think about common life in the city and carry out commoning practices in the cities of Bursa, Istanbul, and Ankara were interviewed as part of the thesis. As a result, In light of the data collected from the field on the interviewees' urban and community experiences, commoning practices, and urban imaginations, It has been seen that these communities have the potential to create heterotopic spaces.