scholarly journals The Role of Cities in the Sharing Economy: Exploring Modes of Governance in Urban Sharing Practices

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Palm ◽  
Karolina Södergren ◽  
Nancy Bocken
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Modes Of Governance ◽  
The City

Cities have for a long time been key actors in sustainable urban development, and in recent times, also for the sharing economy, as they provide a fertile breeding ground for various sharing initiatives. While some of these initiatives build on existing practices and infrastructures such as public libraries and repair workshops, others require the involvement of private companies, as in the case of car sharing. The sharing economy might therefore require a significant reinterpretation of the role of local governments, businesses and citizens, which in turn might imply a complex re-organisation of governing. This article will explore what potential roles cities might have in governing the sharing economy. Four Swedish cities serve as case studies for this purpose: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå. City data was collected primarily through qualitative means of investigation, including workshops, interviews and desk research. In Malmö, additional participatory observations were conducted on the testbed Sege Park. Results were analysed with a framework developed for understanding the various governing roles for cities in the sharing economy. Three dominant modes of governing were identified and discussed: governing by provision and authority; governing by partnership and enabling; and governing through volunteering. The four cities made use of all three governing modes, although with a primary focus on governing by authority and governing through partnership. When characterised by governing through volunteering, projects were always initiated by the city, but then run formally by an NGO. While all governing modes may have a role and a purpose in the sharing economy, it is still important that cities reflect upon what are their actual implications. Risks include a collaborative governing mode out-competing some businesses, for example, and a self-governing mode reducing the action space of the volunteer sector.

scholarly journals Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Bocken ◽  
Alexandra Jonca ◽  
Karolina Södergren ◽  
Jenny Palm
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Concept Understanding ◽  
Case Research ◽  
Private Car ◽  
The City

The sharing economy has become prominent in the policy, business and academic discourse as a way to achieve greater levels of resource efficiency in sustainability transitions. An example is carsharing, which is regarded as a potential lever for change in sustainable mobility transitions. In this article we, apply the “ecologies of business models” perspective to investigate how carsharing initiatives have coevolved in Sweden. We focus on the city context as a useful unit of analysis to investigate carsharing in four Swedish cities: Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå. Through qualitative case research, we investigate the following: How did carsharing business models coevolve in the studied cities? It was found that early notions of carsharing date back to the 1970s, but the concept has changed significantly over time, particularly with the emergence of (Internet) technology-based platforms. The findings suggest that carsharing is complementary to existing private car usage in cities, rather than a replacement. Based on this, we suggest pathways for local policymakers to consider when implementing sustainable carsharing solutions. The contributions are threefold: providing an empirical study on the theoretical ecologies of business models concept; understanding how carsharing coevolved in Swedish cities and in relation to wider sustainability and mobility trends; and giving novel insight into the role of local governments.

scholarly journals Applying the SDGs to Cities: Business as Usual or a New Dawn?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Zinkernagel ◽  
James Evans ◽  
Lena Neij
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
The Many ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
The City ◽  
Indicator Sets

With growing urbanisation the sustainability of cities has become increasingly important. Although cities have been using indicators for a long time it is only in the last decades that attempts have been made to collate indicators into sets that reflect the many different aspects required to assess the sustainability of a city. The aim of this paper is to review the evolution of indicators for monitoring sustainable urban development in order to understand how ‘new’ the indicators suggested by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are for cities and the challenges they may face in using them. The review reveals that previous indicator sets emphasised environmental sustainability, health and economic growth. It is also shown that indicator sets that pre-date the SDGs lacked dimensions such as gender equality and reduced inequalities. In all, the SDG indicators provide the possibility of a more balanced and integrated approach to urban sustainability monitoring. At the same time, further research is needed to understand how to adapt the SDGs, targets and indicators to specific urban contexts. Challenges of local application include their large number, their generic characteristics and the need to complement them with specific indicators that are more relevant at the city level.

City Boosterism through Internet Marketing

2011 ◽  
pp. 130-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Isabel Huerta-Carvajal ◽  
Luis Felipe Luna-Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
City Marketing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
The City

Local governments around the world are becoming aware of the importance of identifying and marketing their local assets to promote economic competitiveness. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have proven useful in supporting marketing activities in the private sector, but there is still little exploration on their use in the public sector. However, ICT effectiveness is constrained by institutional arrangements and the coordination of the marketing efforts with other government processes such as urban planning and strategy development. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the strategic scaffolding for ICT as a key component of a city’s marketing strategy using as an example the city of Puebla in Mexico. Although city marketing efforts and ICT use are still at its initial stages in the city, lessons from current efforts in Puebla are related to the key role of stakeholder networks, ICT interoperability, Geographic Information Systems, and government program continuity.

The Role of Local Governments in City Branding

2017 ◽  
pp. 251-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emel Gonenc Guler
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
City Branding ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Civic Dialogue ◽  
The City

Local governments provide a range of local services, preserve the life and liberty of residents, creating space for democratic participation and civic dialogue, supporting market-led and environmentally sustainable local development. City branding supplies the principles for the city developing policy to sustain the local development. In other words, city branding means being powerful to face the increasing wild competition for resources, investment and tourism facilities, both for addressing crucial social issues and cultural variation. The main objective of this study is to highlight the role of local governments and to emphasize the various destinations “bodies” used in the branding process in different administration systems. Although there are many different destination branding strategies over the world, the city branding success cannot be performed without the strong participation of the local governments.

The Role of Local Governments in City Branding

2017 ◽  
pp. 784-803
Author(s):  
Emel Gonenc Guler
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
City Branding ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Civic Dialogue ◽  
The City

Local governments provide a range of local services, preserve the life and liberty of residents, creating space for democratic participation and civic dialogue, supporting market-led and environmentally sustainable local development. City branding supplies the principles for the city developing policy to sustain the local development. In other words, city branding means being powerful to face the increasing wild competition for resources, investment and tourism facilities, both for addressing crucial social issues and cultural variation. The main objective of this study is to highlight the role of local governments and to emphasize the various destinations “bodies” used in the branding process in different administration systems. Although there are many different destination branding strategies over the world, the city branding success cannot be performed without the strong participation of the local governments.

scholarly journals Perspective trends in financing of housing-and-communal services

2018 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 01050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Vasilyeva
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
The Public ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Definite Answer ◽  
The City ◽  
Public And Private Partnerships

The article is devoted to the matters of public-and-private partnerships in the field of housing-and-communal services. The author recognizes, that sustainable urban development requires effective funding with the leading role of municipal finances. At the same time, financing of housing-and-communal sector through the municipal budget only would be too burdensome, while the use of the public-and-private partnership scheme has proved to be the good solution of this problem. However, there is no definite answer: whether the housing-and-communal sector is the most developed zone of public-and-private partnership or, on the contrary, it is an obscure and ineffective zone. The author analyzes the Russian experience of use of the public-and-private partnership scheme in the field of housing-and-communal services and reveals the main problems, which prevent the attraction of the private capital to this sphere. Such rather new trends as so called "box decisions" and "pool" securitization of infrastructure projects are considered in the article. According to the author, the use of these options could contribute to the development of housing-and-communal sector and the city infrastructure as well as the urban development as whole.

scholarly journals The local library across the digital and physical city: Opportunities for economic development

2014 ◽  
pp. 39-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirralie Houghton ◽  
Marcus Foth ◽  
Evonne Miller
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Public Library ◽  
The Public ◽  
Digital Network ◽  
Knowledge Economies ◽  
Government Planning ◽  
Potential Benefits

This paper considers the role of the public library as a community hub, engagement space, and entrepreneurial incubator in the context of the city, city governance, and local government planning. It considers this role from the perspective of library experts and their future visions for libraries in a networked knowledge economy. Public libraries (often operated by or on behalf of local governments) potentially play a pivotal role for local governments in positioning communities within the global digital network. Fourteen qualitative interviews with library experts informed the study which investigates how the relationship between digital technology and the physical library space can potentially support the community to develop innovative, collaborative environments for transitioning to a digital future. The study found that libraries can capitalise on their position as community hubs for two purposes: first, to build vibrant community networks and forge economic links across urban localities; and second, to cross the digital divide and act as places of innovation and lifelong learning. Libraries provide a specific combination of community and technology spaces and have significant tangible connection points in the digital age. The paper further discusses the potential benefits for libraries in using ICT networks and infrastructure, such as the National Broadband Network in Australia. These networks could facilitate greater use of library assets and community knowledge, which, in turn, could assist knowledge economies and regional prosperity.

Experiencing intentional recognition: Welcoming immigrants in Dayton, Ohio

Urban Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Housel ◽  
Colleen Saxen ◽  
Tom Wahlrab
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Recent Immigrants ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The City

What is possible if Dayton became a city that intentionally welcomed immigrants? This question was the starting point for a community conversation about the wellbeing of and outreach toward immigrants in a midsize city in southwest Ohio – the City of Dayton. This paper examines the processes employed to support the emergence of an immigrant-welcoming initiative now called ‘Welcome Dayton’. Early conversations resulted in a formal plan, written by the community and endorsed by city commissioners, which realigned and crystallised local priorities, sparking a wide spectrum of efforts aimed at becoming a welcoming city. Using qualitative methods, primarily participant observation, we identified practices of creating spaces where both long-time residents and recent immigrants come together in a way that recognises and reveals the value of each participant’s perspectives and ideas. Herein we examine the practices of creating and sustaining Welcome Dayton, paying particular attention to the role of recognition in generating ‘resourcefulness’ in the community.

scholarly journals Trasformation and consumption trends in the modern sharing business model

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (79) ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
G. N. Chernukhina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Social Model ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Current State ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Long Time

He article discusses the current state and trends in the development of the sharing economy as a business model. Initially, the sharing economy assumed an exchange between people, but businessmen quickly learned to use the growing popularity of the trend. Companies began to provide platforms for sharing goods.The growing number of mobile and online platforms that effectively connect people who have underutilized assets with people who want to use them, allows you to advertise and sell products widely. In the sharing economy, the role of the consumer is changing to a two-way one, with consumers acting as buyers and suppliers of resources.By “sharing economy” the author understands such a social model, where there is a conscious rejection of private property in favor of collective, and this refusal is associated not with a lack of money, but with a desire to expand their capabilities.The economy of shared consumption today affects most areas of everyday life, changing the methods of transportation (Uber app, BlaBlaCar, Delimobil), living conditions in travel (on Airbnb), ways of entertainment (Netflix and YouTube, etc.), performing tasks (TaskRabbit itself), financing (Kickstarter), etc.Continuing the research, the author found that a number of prerequisites influenced the emergence and development of this business model, for example, the development of the Internet, a change in thinking in favor of a more open and trusting (for example, a trip with strangers to the BlaBlaCar site), a lack of desire to save for a long time to purchase property, urbanization, etc.

scholarly journals Urban Critical Infrastructure’s Governance Framework for Climate Resilient Cities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Cinta Lomba-Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Critical Infrastructures ◽  
World Population ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Governance Framework ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Modes Of Governance ◽  
The City

Climate change affects cities worldwide conditioning their sustainable development. Cities will concentrate around 70% of the world population by 2050 accounting for 75% of the world’s resources consumption. For that reason, cities must act against climate change adopting resilience strategies. Resilience strategies recognize the importance of the reliability and functioning of urban critical infrastructures as they provide essential services for the citizens and they are crucial for the resolution and recovery of the crises. However, the integration of critical infrastructures in the city climate resilience strategies is challenging because critical infrastructures are complex systems, strongly interconnected one to each other and generally, they belong or are operated by private companies. This research proposes a governance framework for better integration of the management of urban critical infrastructures into the city climate resilience strategy. The framework has been developed from academic literature and has been enriched with insights from workshops and interviews with experts and practitioners. As a result, the framework tackles four aspects of governance: (1) modes of governance; (2) stakeholders’ roles; (3) processes and (4) instruments. These aspects will help to improve the vertical integration, cross-sectorial coordination, innovation and knowledge, and cooperation needed for improving city resilience.  Keywords: City Resilience; Urban Critical Infrastructures; Governance Framework; Climate Change Adaptation

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