Public space is not just a concept/idea, but a practice of everyday life. No square, street, or park can truly be considered public without the presence of the youngsters and elderly people, as well as everyday people who reside in the area. For centuries, an ongoing fight and struggle for free and accessible public spaces is waged, as these areas are often at risk of being taken over by profit-driven projects and exploitative forces. From the enclosures of the commons by aristocratic families in 16th century England to the 21st century/modern-day accumulation of apartments, municipal and agricultural land by corporations, the issue of (land ownership and access) persists. Land and freedom remains a moto for us. Squares, parks, pedestrian streets, forests, and beaches, are both battlefields and shelters, where a sense of community and togetherness can be restored all while resisting the commercialization of our lives.

Whether it is referred to as gentrification, touristification, or simply development, the common denominator remains the same; profit-driven/oriented corporations seeking to size land and extract value through renting or selling. The middle-class hipsters with their small galleries, as well as small tavern and coffee shop owners, are all merely pawns in a game of “Monopoly,” or else a massive accumulation of land in the hands of few. Sooner or later, most of them are also going to be kicked out, as their businesses pale in comparison to those of large corporations. The financialization of housing is accompanied by the privatisation of the few remaining public spaces around the world. Athens, having had already very few public spaces, has witnessed significant battles, over the last 20 years, in an effort to maintain the public character of these spaces across every neighborhood. From Exarchia’s Strefi to Filopappou Hill, and from Kyprou-Patission Park to Skopeutirio Kaisarianis, local communities have fought against the partnership between municipal authorities and private interests seeking to render these spaces profitable; a money-making partnership where the latter gets to bribe the former. Café tables have become the calvary of the privatization of public space – a normalized practice that has intensified since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis. Unaffordable rents coupled with the ever-increasing commercialization of public spaces, occupied up by local cafés, has resulted in a situation of asphyxia and exclusions for all those who cannot afford to pay for a cup of coffee or a drink let alone their rent. This has to stop now. Cities are not mere money-making machines. They are shells of life to people.

Hardline’s Common Ground Sessions go beyond mere musical gatherings; they are a practice of revitalizing public spaces, promoting community building and caring for each other and the environment around us. The most effective defense against for-profit exploitation is when people live in these spaces, whether by simply lounging on a bench and chatting with friends or temporarily collectively transforming them into playgrounds, shared dining tables, or venues.