This month, Shareable hosted a discussion on Twitter with Julian Agyeman and Duncan McLaren, authors of “Sharing Cities,” about some of the pivotal questions surrounding cities that are weaving sharing initiatives in their socio-economic frameworks.
The dialogue, which included input from Shareable’s community on Twitter, touched upon the diverse facets of sharing cities, starting with the definition of this new paradigm.
A sharing city is “one where social equity, social capital, and frugal resource use are intentionally central to policy and planning,” Agyeman, professor of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University, said.
McLaren, a freelance researcher, added that a sharing city “facilitates sharing in all forms by its citizens.”
In their latest piece for Shareable and in the Twitter chat, Agyeman and McLaren emphasized the need for developing this participatory nature of sharing cities.
“Citizens need to have the capacity not only to decide whether and how much to participate in sharing ventures, but a role in determining their rules and shaping their design,” they wrote. “Genuine sharing cities must share power and authority with their citizens.”
Here’s a brief recap of other key points that Agyeman and McLaren mentioned in the Twitter conversation:
Do you know of organizations that promote sharing in your area? Sign up for Shareable’s upcoming MapJam to connect with local community members and map all sharing-related programs in your city.
Further reading and resources on sharing cities:
- Sharing Cities Network
- Sharing Cities Toolkit
- Amsterdam is Now Europe's First Named "Sharing City"
- International Team Kicks off Sharing Cities Book Project
- Despite Slow Adoption, Seoul Doubles Down On Sharing City Project
- Sharing Cities: Why Ownership, Governance and The Commons Matter More Than Ever
- Sharing Without Sharing: The Strange Case of Medellín
Follow Shareable on Twitter @shareable for updates on upcoming Twitter chats.
