The idea of common goods requires reconsidering free and open access in favour of an approach where resources are shared equitably among users. In Bengaluru, the traffic snarls at Silk Board Junction and the toxic foam at Bellandur Lake have become fodder for memes on social media platforms. These problems – replicated in cities across India – are often attributed to Bengaluru’s rapid population growth and poor planning by the government. However, this is a more complex issue. It is a problem of the commons and needs to be viewed through a different lens.