Maggie Kuhns
mkuhns@ltu.edu kuhnsmaggiemarie@gmail.com Design Instagram WebsiteMaggie is a dual-degree student studying architecture and civil engineering. She decided to pursue Thesis for the ability to combine topics of varying disciplines, such as urban design, philosophy, and social justice. She has deeply enjoyed the Thesis journey and believes it will be research she continues for the rest of her life.
TITLE 
Regarding the Commons: Addressing the Current Social and Economic Power Dynamics Manifested in the Public Realm
MajorArchitecture [M.Arch]
DescriptionThis work aims to fill a void urban theorists and citydwellers have observed in the modern manifestation of public space, presenting the New Commons as a space, a resource, and a universal right. It aims to challenge the notion that is fundamental to developing land in the United States – that ownership of the land is a given and that certain resources can be restricted. People’s lived experiences in the city do not always reflect the supposed publicness of a space, but through intentional acts of occupation, a new version of the Commons might emerge, following the ownership models of Indigenous peoples and offering connection to vital utilities.