Skip to main content
Group 7 Created with Sketch.
Group 3 Copy Created with Sketch.

Strategies of Commoning

Illustration of four silhouetted figures building a fence, three in wheelchairs and one standing. A speech bubble above one figure and bottom caption both contain text.

Visual Description

A black-and-white, comic-book style illustration of four silhouetted figures building a fence out of dark-gray planks. On the left side of the fence, a figure in a wheelchair carries a plank from beside a pile of more planks, while a second standing figure touches the fence, and a third figure, using a wheelchair, looks on. On the right side of the fence, a fourth figure, seated in a wheelchair, has a text bubble reading, “Did you hear about the group of Berkeley neighbors who took down their fences to create a larger shared yard?” A text caption below the illustration reads, “What if the City found ways to further encourage such acts of property sharing—to shift from the model of “my house on my lot” to a more collective approach that enabled disabled people to live together and share resources?”

An aerial plan of a residential block dissected by a pink pathway is labeled with the text “The Meander: A New Accessible Pathway“ and shows 12 houses and three outbuildings. A speech bubble connected to two tiny, silhouetted figures and a bottom caption both contain text.

Visual Description

An aerial plan of a residential block depicts 12 houses and three outbuildings. A bright pink pathway bisecting the plan is labeled with a speech bubble containing the bright pink text “The Meander: A New Accessible Pathway” atop a black microdot pattern. The Meander divides the illustration into six equal sections, with the top right section divided in half again by the pink path. A top speech bubble connected to two tiny, silhouetted figures in the center of the plan reads, “A new, car-free accessible pathway–a ‘Meander’—could be created by joining together the rear setback areas of individual lots. Private property is “borrowed” to create a new accessible, public right of way—an area where disabled neighbors and visitors can gather and move freely.” Bottom caption reads, “Existing city streets and sidewalks, designed as much for cars as for people, present innumerable challenges for people who are blind and/or who use wheelchairs.” 

Mostly grayscale illustration of two figures in wheelchairs crossing a residential street patterned with white dots on a pink background. A sign on the right sidewalk reads, “Slow Streets are Accessible Streets.” A text bubble stemming from the left figure contains more text.

Visual Description

A mostly black-and-white, comic-book style illustration of two figures in wheelchairs crossing a residential street, with the street defined by a white dot pattern over a bright pink background. A text bubble stems from the left figure and reads, “The Meander could connect to surrounding ‘slow streets’ (roadways that the city has limited to pedestrian traffic), creating a car-free network of streets that are safer and more pleasant for all. Streets should be designed for people not cars.” A sign on the right sidewalk reads, “Slow Streets are Accessible Streets.” In the background, trees contrast with telephone wires, and three abstracted figures walk on the left sidewalk.

Illustration of a row of nine houses, with the top halves of six of the houses defined by bright pink. In the center of the streetscape, a speech bubble with text stems from two figures in wheelchairs and one standing figure.

Visual Description

A mostly black-and-white, comic-book style illustration of a row of nine houses. Six of the houses have upper portions defined by bright pink. In the center of the streetscape, a text bubble stems from two figures in wheelchairs and one standing figure and reads, “In Berkeley it’s common for property owners to add a second or even third story to their houses. But because private, single-family homes and small apartments are exempt from ADA laws, these are not required to be accessible.” The houses on the left half of the illustration are adorned by silhouettes of various types of trees.

Illustration of three pairs of houses with silhouetted figures of varying abilities around them. Silhouetted figures standing and using walking canes and wheelchairs gather around the houses. A central text bubble and a bottom caption both contain text.

Visual Description

A comic-book style illustration of three pairs of multi-level houses. Each pair depicts a version of the house with a pink upper story and white lower story, with arrows pointing to a version of the same house with a white upper story and a pink lower story. Silhouetted figures standing and using walking canes and wheelchairs gather around the houses. A text bubble leading from a central figure in a wheelchair reads, “In exchange for permission to add inaccessible square footage to their homes, owners would have to grant a portion of their land for disabled access and common use.” Bottom text reads, “How can we direct housing growth toward accessibility? What if the city creates a system of ‘accessibility land swaps’?”

BROWSER UPGRADE RECOMMENDED

Our website has detected that you are using a browser that will prevent you from accessing certain features. An upgrade is recommended to experience. Use the links below to upgrade your exisiting browser.