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Urban-Rural-Soil

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Urban-Rural-Soil

The Reclaiming Common Wealth program brought together activists, researchers, administrators, and policymakers, creating networks of collaboration. One of the key results of this exchange is the book Urban–Rural–Soil: Connecting Land Policy between Urban and Rural Areas, now published by transcript.

Isabel Feichtner Susanne Heeg Katja Schubel Stefan Gruber Tim Wihl Felicitas Sommer Reclaiming Common Wealth

In November 2023, the Reclaiming Common Wealth program hosted a workshop at THE NEW INSTITUTE to develop strategies for a movement for social and ecological land justice that constructively addresses the urban-rural divide.

There are many urban and rural initiatives in Germany concerned with the protection, conservation and regeneration of soil. These groups are also concerned with the equitable distribution of land and are working on reforms to promote soil protection, access to land and its ecological management. However, they rarely meet to discuss these issues in a way that considers rural, urban and suburban spaces together.

One of the outcomes of this collaboration is the book "Stadt-Land-Boden - Verbindende Bodenpolitik zwischen Stadt und Land" (english: Urban-rural-soil: Connecting land policy between urban and rural areas), to be published in July 2025, which explores a unifying land policy between urban and rural areas.

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Urban-Land-Soil

Land policy is inherently forward-looking—it shapes whether our livelihoods are preserved or put at risk. As debates around access, distribution, and use of land intensify, the question of ownership is being revisited: Where should land remain privately owned, and where should it be governed as a common good? How can legal frameworks prevent the concentration of ownership and ensure that land serves the public interest? The contributors to this volume advocate for a land policy that bridges urban and rural divides. They highlight initiatives and tools emerging from social movements, academia, and public administration that promote fairer distribution, more democratic and self-determined management, and sustainable land use.

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