Something like this? Consensus on the Urban and Rural Commons: Community Trusts for Local Custodianship (integrated, plain-language framework) 1. Shared Understanding The urban and rural commons are the foundations of public life: soil, water, air, green space, and the cultural and digital resources people share. They belong to everyone collectively and must be managed locally through community custodianship, not distant ownership. 2. Purpose To create a unified model of Community Trusts that hold and manage shared land and resources in both cities and countryside. These trusts give people real authority to care for, use, and restore their commons under law—ensuring that what sustains life stays in public hands. 3. Core Agreements Recognition of the Commons The commons—rivers, air, soil, forests, urban gardens, community buildings, and data—are legally recognised as shared resources. Ownership stays collective; stewardship is delegated locally. Community Trusts as Custodians Independent, non-profit bodies established by residents. Manage public, derelict, or underused land for long-term community benefit. Operate under transparent rules and open membership. Urban Custodianship Redevelop vacant land, rooftops, and brownfield sites for gardens, food growing, clean-air planting, and social use. Keep land productive and accessible without privatization. Rural Custodianship Protect water sources, forests, and agricultural soils. Balance sustainable food production with biodiversity and rewilding. Governance Principles Local first: those who live near and depend on the resource govern it. Transparency: open records, public accounts, community voting. Accountability: periodic ecological and social audits. Interdependence Urban and rural trusts cooperate—city compost supports farmland, rural produce supports urban food security. Pollution reduction, biodiversity, and soil health tracked across regions as one ecosystem. Education and Inclusion Schools and local groups use commons projects as training grounds for ecological literacy and civic participation. Access open to all residents regardless of income or background. 4. Institutional Form National Commons Charter sets basic rights and duties. Local Commons Trusts register assets, manage sites, and reinvest all income into maintenance and restoration. Commons Council coordinates regional cooperation, data sharing, and dispute resolution. 5. Expected Results Cleaner air and water, healthier soil, and secure local food. Revived public spaces and reduced land neglect. Stronger relationships between citizens and councils. A living model of self-governance rooted in stewardship, not profit. 6. Consensus Line Urban or rural, the commons are our shared inheritance. Community Trusts are their living guardians—keeping the land, water, and air in the hands of those who care for them.

yes