Public Commons

The Centre for Local Research into Public Space (CELOS)'s mission is "research by ordinary people" into the use and administration of public space, supporting neighbourhood experiments with ways of using public space, and sharing the information we find.

That includes trying to get a picture of what the law says about what is and is not allowed in our parks and public commons, who has the power to make and enforce decisions, and the limits of this authority.

In our "research by ordinary people," we welcome readers' suggestions and feedback about what is missing and what we've overlooked.

None of the CELOS researchers are lawyers, so none have the legal authority to interpret laws or policies. Readers should not use this website information as a basis for taking action without consulting a lawyer.