This presentation was given by Dr Chris Boyko during the Lancaster as a Sharing City workshop.

1. Sharing and the City
Descriptions, issues
and examples
Image source: Esterni

2. What is sharing
Sharing is an inherent component of human interaction
– It is an evolutionary trait, yet also culturally learned
– Through sharing, we strengthen social ties and help to support collective—
and individual—wellbeing
– Sharing is associated with notions of generosity, charity, being unselfish and
altruism
– Connections with collaborative consumption, access economy, peer economy
and asset-light lifestyle
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_grey/4582294721/sizes/l

3. Sharing definition
The act and process of distributing what is ours to others for
their use and/or the act and process of receiving or taking
from others for our use.
(Belk, 2010)
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkabauter/6818066151/sizes/o/

4. But sharing can happen in many different ways:
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/twinkabauter/6818066151/sizes/o/
Sharing definition
Bottom-up Top downMixed
Small scale NetworksLarge scale
Individual2individual Individual2community Community2community
Exchange Transaction Gifting Renting Co-owning …
Private ownership Public goods

5. • More wealth in society may reduce sharing
– People can afford to buy their own
– People have less social contacts because they do not need to ask others
to share
• We are experiencing the increasing privatisation and
commercialisation of many resources that were ‘public’
• Contributes to unhealthy predominance of individualist
consumer identities
Issues with sharing
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sshb/2912708983/sizes/l

6. • Cities have been essential places of sharing for centuries
– People share space, interactions and the exchange of goods and services
– The city, itself, is the product of shared creation and/or co-production
Sharing and cities
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nodeworx/4609354799/sizes/o/

7. • Sharing in cities was and is needed to:
– Maintain the environment
– Support a civil society
– Grow or sustain the economy at different scales
– Promote individual and community happiness
Sharing and cities
Image source: Wellcome Collection

8. • Cities need to facilitate sharing by:
– Having an open and receptive approach to governance
– Regulating the interface between the shared public realm and private
interests
– Enabling effective and fair sharing of resources and opportunities
Sharing and cities
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fensterbme/9384219159/sizes/k/

9. • Sharing in cities offers a sustainable foundation for
liveability, equality and a transformative approach to
cities in the future
• However, sharing in cities needs to be more broadly
conceived and perceived
– Middle-of-the-road ideas might prevail, and we want to push the
boundaries
Sharing and cities
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3761936052/sizes/o/

10. Some examples of sharing
Governance
Mobilities
Wellbeing
Energy
Future visions
Ecosystem Services
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bmwguggenheimlab/7700584882/sizes/o/

11. Adopting urban street trees
Ecosystem Services
Formal or informal arrangement
between local authority and residents
regarding maintenance of trees
outside residents’ homes
Image source: CanopyKeepers DC

12. National grid
Energy
Tangible example of sharing in terms
of infrastructure and product it
produces
It provides access to available sources
of energy and resources and
guarantees standards of quality and
safety
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pressreleasefinder/5138688541/sizes/o/

13. Access to shared, renewable energy resources
Energy
If we want cities to be denser and
generate more of their own
electricity, then increasing conflicts
over access to shared solar energy
(and possibly heat) are likely – we
need to develop ways of dealing with
this
Potential for impact as government is
yet to respond to consultation on
draft ‘rights to light’ bill and there is
no provision in it for protecting a right
to direct radiation for generating
solar power
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bromfordgroup/8496990115/sizes/h/

14. Long term sharing of physical activity
Wellbeing
Access to formal or informal public
spaces to exercise individually or in a
community promotes healthy
lifestyles and increases wellbeing
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pirateygoodness/2667833754/sizes/o/

15. Near Miss Project
Mobilities
Recording and online sharing of
experiences of near misses and other
non-injury incidents amongst cyclists.
Cyclists can share intimate cycling
experiences and find a voice through
this project
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/9715747066/sizes/k/

16. Sharing things to extend their life
Mobilities
Sharing things through monetary,
profit-maximising and non-monetary
barter networks of exchange (e.g.
Gumtree vs. Freecycle)
Commodities are re-contextualised
around use value vs. commodities as
a profit-making means due to their
use value
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shazz/967103918/sizes/o/

17. Sharing visions and ideas
Future Visions
NYC Change by Us is an online
platform that allows New Yorkers to
propose ideas for their
neighbourhood or join other
members in local (mostly informal)
projects
The website also functions as a
shared platform for users to organize
themselves and advertise their
projects once they start
Image source: http://nyc.changeby.us/

18. Participatory budgeting
Governance
Porto Alegre (BR) was the first city to
start participatory budgeting in 1989
Participatory budgeting is a process
through which citizens present their
demand and priorities for civic
improvement and influence through
discussions and negotiations at the
local and city level the budget
allocations made by municipalities
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91429570@N08/8519127455/sizes/h/

19. Excess food redistribution
Governance
Fareshare rescues food that would
otherwise go wasted and redistribute
it to charities
Some of the benefits of Fareshare
include: reducing waste, fighting food
poverty and providing work
experience
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestle/8936211923/sizes/o/

20. Thank you.
Image source: Esterni