The basic idea is to eliminate the commons. If you have a piece of land that nobody owns, the incentives can be for everyone to exploit it in every manner and to a degree that the land is ruined. If someone owns it, the owner won't want the land ruined and will most likely define rules and limits governing its use.
Not all commons can realistically be converted to private ownership (example: air), so this approach isn't always a useful one.
RE: The Steemit Tragedy of The Commons