Collective appropriation of public space: studying urban commons in public green spaces in Durango, Mexico

The accumulation dynamics of the current development model have generated a process of global urbanisation characterised by the degradation of ecosystem services and the overexploitation of urban assets, posing complex challenges for their long-term management and governance. Although the commons approach has been adopted in academia to analyze these issues, the literature has mainly focused on the Global North. In this context, this article examines the processes of collective appropriation of public green spaces in Durango, Mexico, based on a case study with a mixed methodology that integrates quantitative (descriptive statistics, chi-square test and contingency coefficient) and qualitative (thematic analysis) analysis. From a functional perspective, 14 commons provided by green spaces were identified, grouped into four categories: ecosystemic, relational, recreational, and physical and mental well-being. Symbolically, users attributed 13 feelings to these spaces, grouped into four emotions: happiness, fear, sadness, and displeasure. In addition, statistical analyses revealed five significant associations between sociodemographic variables (gender-income, age-gender, age-schooling, schooling-income, and schooling-gender), suggesting that these factors influence the configuration of the processes of functional and symbolic appropriation of the urban commons in public green spaces.