How sharing can contribute to more sustainable cities

Boyko, Christopher Thomas and Clune, Stephen John and Cooper, Rachel and Coulton, Claire Julie and Dunn, Nicholas Simon and Pollastri, Serena and Leach, Joanne M. and Bouch, Christopher and Cavada, Marianna and De Laurentiis, Valeria and Goodfellow-Smith, Mike and Hale, James and Hunt, Dan and Lee, Susan and Locret-Collet, Martin and Sadler, Jon P. and Ward, Jonathan and Rogers, Christopher D.F. and Popan, Cosmin and Psarikidou, Aikaterini and Urry, John Richard and Blunden, Luke and Bourikas, Leonidas and Buchs, Milena and Falkingham, Jane and Harper, Mikey and James, Patrick and Kamanda, Mamusu and Sanches, Tatiana and Turner, Philip and Wu, Phil and Bahaj, AbuBakr and Ortegon, Adriana and Barnes, Katie and Cosgrave, Ellie and Honeybone, Paul and Joffe, Helene and Kwami, Corina and Zeeb, Victoria and Collins, Brian and Tyler, Nick (2017) How sharing can contribute to more sustainable cities. Sustainability, 9 (5): 701. ISSN 2071-1050

Abstract

Recently, much of the literature on sharing in cities has focused on the sharing economy, in which people use online platforms to share underutilized assets in the marketplace. This view of sharing is too narrow for cities, as it neglects the myriad of ways, reasons, and scales in which citizens share in urban environments. Research presented here by the Liveable Cities team in the form of participant workshops in Lancaster and Birmingham, UK, suggests that a broader approach to understanding sharing in cities is essential. The research also highlighted tools and methods that may be used to help to identify sharing in communities. The paper ends with advice to city stakeholders, such as policymakers, urban planners, and urban designers, who are considering how to enhance sustainability in cities through sharing.