The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations

The commons theory, first articulated by Elinor Ostrom, is increasingly used as a framework to understand and rethink the management and governance of many kinds of shared resources. These resources can include natural and digital properties, cultural goods, knowledge and intellectual property, and housing and urban infrastructure, among many others. In a world of increasing scarcity and demand - from individuals, states, and markets - it is imperative to understand how best to induce cooperation among users of these resources in ways that advance sustainability, affordability, equity, and justice. This volume reflects this multifaceted and multidisciplinary field from a variety of perspectives, offering new applications and extensions of the commons theory, which is as diverse as the scholars who study it and is still developing in exciting ways.

Sheila R. Foster is a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Georgetown University and is an award-winning authority on environmental and climate justice, urban governance, and racial inequality. Foster has served as the co-director LabGov, chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors advisory committee, and a member of the New York City's Mayors Panel on Climate Change.

Chrystie F. Swiney is an attorney, legal scholar, and political scientist with an expertise in international and human rights law. She holds graduate degrees from Harvard Law, Oxford, and Georgetown, and has worked in international development for over a decade. Chrystie is a widely published author, with works including a book on the global spread of restrictive NGO laws.