Communalize

Communalize is a verb meaning to transfer or organize the ownership or control of a resource, property, or system so that it is held and managed by a community or collective rather than private individuals or corporations.

The term is used primarily in political and social theory contexts. It derives from communal, with the -ize suffix; communalize is not a formal legal category but a concept describing processes that move toward shared governance.

Common applications include housing (such as community land trusts or housing cooperatives that hold land in common and govern homes democratically), land reform, worker-owned factories (cooperatives), and services like energy, water, or digital data that are held by a community or municipal body.

Governance often emphasizes democratic decision-making, fiduciary oversight, and rules that aim to secure equitable access and accountability. Legal forms used to achieve communalization include cooperatives, community land trusts, trusts, and municipal entities with participatory governance.

Supporters argue that communalizing can expand social equity and local resilience and give communities more control over essential resources; critics point to potential inefficiencies, coordination costs, governance challenges, and risks of exclusion. The term overlaps with related ideas such as social ownership, municipalization, or nationalization, but stresses community management rather than state ownership.