North Sea Rising: a Case for Water-based Commons

In North Sea Rising, editors Nabi Agzamov and Francesca Vanelli argue for a new perspective on regional commons across the North Sea watershed. Through a series of essays, experts and practitioners examine the historical evolution of this dynamic region and its legacy, climate change challenges, and the potential approaches needed to imagine a vision of a resilient and equitable future for the North Sea.

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Tom Holbrook’s “A New Hansa?” explores the region’s historical and present-day significance of trade and urban networks, “Mapping the Human-Ocean Nexus” by Di Fang critiques traditional cartography and advocates for biodiversity-focused “ocean thinking”, and Nashin Mahtani’s “To Dream Like a River” highlights the importance of community-led governance.

The book concludes with “North Sea Manifesting”, where Agzamov and Vanelli propose a fluid, inclusive governance model that balances ecological and social dimensions. The book challenges conventional notions of territory and governance, advocating for a vision of a North Sea rooted in cooperation, resilience, and environmental equilibrium.

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Nabi Agzamov is an architect and urban designer with expertise in urban ecology. He researches sustainable and resilient environments and the relationship between water, ecology, and cities. Nabi and Francesca are PhD candidates, part of the European Doctoral Innovators (REDI) program and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellows. The book is part of the dissemination outcomes.

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Published by VI PER Gallery, Prague, 2024
ISBN 978-80-908433-5-6

This book is published as an output of VI PER Gallery’s writing grant within the LINA platform. Supported by the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, City of Prague and State Fund of Culture of the Czech Republic.