Public space is not a neutral container but a contested common—shaped, claimed, and often enclosed by dominant systems and spatial regimes. Cycling, as both a social and political practice, provides a unique lens to examine how public space can be reclaimed and reimagined as a shared, collective domain. Our work explores the potential of everyday cycling practices to crystallize public space as common by challenging the exclusionary forces that restrict access and use.
In the first phase, we employ collaborative autoethnography to analyze our lived experiences of cycling in Tehran—a city characterized by its car-centric environment. Through this process, we identify analytical themes that reveal how public space is enclosed and regulated, while also highlighting the politicization of cycling as an embodied practice that transcends mere transportation. Cycling emerges as a form of resistance, critically engaging with the spatial hierarchies that marginalize non-motorized mobility.
The second phase involves presenting these initial themes to our session participants through a workshop designed to foster a participatory, collaborative autoethnographic exploration. Through storytelling and collective reflection, participants will co-create narratives that rethink cycling as a critical commoning practice. This collaborative and interactive session aims to illuminate alternative ways of understanding and utilizing public space, ultimately fostering transformative approaches to reclaiming urban spaces as shared commons.