Urban Science

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5 pages, 183 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sharing Cities Shaping Cities

by Giuseppe Salvia, Eugenio Morello and Andrea Arcidiacono

Urban Sci. 2019, 3(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3010023 - 22 Feb 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3381

Abstract

In recent years, ‘sharing cities’ has spread globally, starting in 2012 when Seoul declared its intent to pursue sharing economy strategies [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

Research

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11 pages, 2249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coworking Spaces and New Social Relations: A Focus on the Social Streets in Italy

by Mina Akhavan, Ilaria Mariotti, Lisa Astolfi and Annapaola Canevari

Urban Sci. 2019, 3(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3010002 - 24 Dec 2018

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 7881

Abstract

The late 2000s witnessed a wide diffusion of innovative workplaces, named coworking spaces, designed to host creative people and entrepreneurs: the coworkers. Sharing the same space may provide a collaborative community to those kinds of workers who otherwise would not enjoy the relational [...] Read more.

The late 2000s witnessed a wide diffusion of innovative workplaces, named coworking spaces, designed to host creative people and entrepreneurs: the coworkers. Sharing the same space may provide a collaborative community to those kinds of workers who otherwise would not enjoy the relational component associated with a traditional corporate office. Coworking spaces can bring several benefits to freelancers and independent workers, such as knowledge transfer, informal exchange, cooperation, and forms of horizontal interaction with others, as well as business opportunities. Moreover, additional effects may concern the urban context: from community building, with the subsequent creation of social streets, and the improvement of the surrounding public space, to a wider urban revitalization, both from an economic and spatial point of view. These “indirect” effects are neglected by the literature, which mainly focuses on the positive impact on the workers’ performance. The present paper aimed to fill the gap in the literature by exploring the effects of coworking spaces in Italy on the local context, devoting particular attention to the relation with social streets. To reach this goal, the answers (236) to an on-line questionnaire addressed to coworkers were analysed. The results showed that three quarters of the coworkers reported a positive impact of coworking on the urban and local context, where 10 out of 100 coworking spaces developed and/or participated in social streets located in Italian cities, but also in the suburban and peripheral areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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21 pages, 5855 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Engaging the Senses: The Potential of Emotional Data for Participation in Urban Planning

by Afif Fathullah and Katharine S. Willis

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(4), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2040098 - 21 Sep 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7741

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory study on the potential for sharing urban data; one where citizens create their own data and use it to understand and influence urban planning decisions. The aim of the study is to explore new models of participation through [...] Read more.

This paper presents an exploratory study on the potential for sharing urban data; one where citizens create their own data and use it to understand and influence urban planning decisions. The aim of the study is to explore new models of participation through the sharing of emotional data and focuses on the relationship between the physical space and emotions through identifying the links between stress levels and specific features of the urban environment. It addresses the problem in urban planning that, while people’s emotional connection with the physical urban setting is often valued, it is rarely recognised or used as a source of data to understand future decision making. The method involved participants using a (GSR) device linked to location data to measure participant’s emotional responses along a walking route in a city centre environment. Results show correlations between characteristics of the urban environment and stress levels, as well as how specific features of the city spaces create stress ‘peaks’. In the discussion we review how the data obtained could contribute to citizens creating their own information layer—an emotional layer—that could inform a shared approach to participation in urban planning decision-making. The future implications of the application of this method as an approach to public participation in urban planning are also considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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10 pages, 2520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Domesticity On-Demand: The Architectural and Urban Implications of Airbnb in Melbourne, Australia

by Jacqui Alexander

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030088 - 12 Sep 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5832

Abstract

The home-sharing platform, Airbnb, is disrupting the social and spatial dynamics of cities. While there is a growing body of literature examining the effects of Airbnb on housing supply in first-world, urban environments, impacts on dwellings and dwelling typologies remain underexplored. This research [...] Read more.

The home-sharing platform, Airbnb, is disrupting the social and spatial dynamics of cities. While there is a growing body of literature examining the effects of Airbnb on housing supply in first-world, urban environments, impacts on dwellings and dwelling typologies remain underexplored. This research paper investigates the implications of “on-demand domesticity” in Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne, where the uptake of Airbnb has been enthusiastic, rapid, and unregulated. In contrast to Airbnb’s opportunistic use of existing housing stock in other global cities, the rise of short-term holiday rentals and the construction of new homes in Melbourne has been more symbiotic, perpetuating, and even driving housing models—with some confronting results. This paper highlights the challenges and opportunities that Airbnb presents for the domestic landscape of Melbourne, exposing loopholes and grey areas in the planning and building codes which have enabled peculiar domestic mutations to spring up in the city’s suburbs, catering exclusively to the sharing economy. Through an analysis of publically available spatial data, including GIS, architectural drawings, planning documents, and building and planning codes, this paper explores the spatial and ethical implications of this urban phenomenon. Ultimately arguing that the sharing economy may benefit from a spatial response if it presents a spatial problem, this paper proposes that strategic planning could assist in recalibrating and subverting the effects of global disruption in favor of local interests. Such a framework could limit the pernicious effects of Airbnb, while stimulating activity in areas in need of rejuvenation, representing a more nuanced, context-specific approach to policy and governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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21 pages, 4630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coworking, the Sharing Economy, and the City: Which Role for the ‘Coworking Entrepreneur’?

by Giacomo Durante and Margherita Turvani

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030083 - 3 Sep 2018

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7646

Abstract

Sharing economy platforms enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs) are facilitating the diffusion of collaborative workplaces. Coworking spaces are emerging as a distinctive phenomenon in this context, not only fostering knowledge transfer and facilitating innovation, but also affecting the urban and socio-economic [...] Read more.

Sharing economy platforms enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs) are facilitating the diffusion of collaborative workplaces. Coworking spaces are emerging as a distinctive phenomenon in this context, not only fostering knowledge transfer and facilitating innovation, but also affecting the urban and socio-economic fabric contributing to urban regeneration processes at both the local scale and the city scale. Although the positive impacts of coworking on the urban environment are documented, there is still little or no evidence of the economic viability of coworking businesses, and a “coworking bubble” has been evoked. Given the lack of data, a national survey was set up of Italian coworking businesses, aimed at assessing the relevance of internal organizational factors (size, occupancy, profitability, services provided) for the sustainability of coworking businesses. By presenting the results of the survey, we argue that the sustainability and viability of the coworking model is highly dependent on internal factors, strictly related to the entrepreneurial action of coworking managers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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19 pages, 1338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sharing and Riding: How the Dockless Bike Sharing Scheme in China Shapes the City

by Yiyun Sun

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030068 - 9 Aug 2018

Cited by 55 | Viewed by 11146

Abstract

Over the last three years, the dockless bike sharing scheme has become prevalent in the context of the boom in the sharing economy, the wide use of mobile online payment, the increasing environmental awareness and the inherent market demand. This research takes Beijing [...] Read more.

Over the last three years, the dockless bike sharing scheme has become prevalent in the context of the boom in the sharing economy, the wide use of mobile online payment, the increasing environmental awareness and the inherent market demand. This research takes Beijing as a case study, investigates the users’ characteristics, their behaviour change, and perceptions of dockless bike sharing scheme by the quantitative survey, and then analyzes the reasons behind it and how it has changed the residents’ life in Beijing. This new kind of dockless shared bikes, with great advantages of accessibility, flexibility, efficiency and affordability, helps to solve the ‘last mile’ problem, reduce the travel time, and seems to be very environmentally-friendly and sustainable. However, with the help of interview and document analysis, this research finds that the shared bikes are not the effective alternative for the frequent car-users. Nevertheless, it also has numerous negative consequences such as ‘zombie’ bikes blocking the sidewalks and vandalism to the bikes. The public is also worried about their quality and safety, especially the issues of ‘right of way’. How to coordinate and solve these problems is not only related to the future direction of the dockless bike sharing scheme but also to the vital interests of the general public. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that governments, enterprises, and the public participate in multi-party cooperation and build synergic governance networks to carry forward the advantages and avoid the negative effects of the new bike sharing system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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13 pages, 738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Agency: Creating New Opportunities for Sharing and Collaboration in Older People’s Cohousing

by Mark Hammond

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030064 - 2 Aug 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4651

Abstract

Older people’s cohousing enables individuals to share spaces, resources, activities, and knowledge to expand their capability to act in society. Despite the diverse social, economic, and ethical aims that inform the creation of every cohousing community, there is often a disconnect between the [...] Read more.

Older people’s cohousing enables individuals to share spaces, resources, activities, and knowledge to expand their capability to act in society. Despite the diverse social, economic, and ethical aims that inform the creation of every cohousing community, there is often a disconnect between the social discourse developed by cohousing groups and the architectural spaces they create. This is a consequence of the building development process in cohousing, in which groups of older people are tasked with making decisions with considerable spatial implications prior to any collaboration with an architect. The concept of “spatial agency” offers an alternative model for the creation of cohousing, in which the expansion of architectural practice beyond aesthetic and technical building design enables social and spatial considerations to be explored contemporaneously. This study uses a two-year design-research collaboration with a cohousing group in Manchester, UK, to test the opportunities and constraints posed by a “spatial agency” approach to cohousing. The collaboration demonstrated how spatial agency enables both the architect and cohouser to act more creatively through a mutual sharing of knowledge, and, in doing so, tests new opportunities of sharing that are currently outside the cohousing orthodoxy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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13 pages, 678 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Framework for Assessing Democratic Qualities in Collaborative Economy Platforms: Analysis of 10 Cases in Barcelona

by Mayo Fuster Morell and Ricard Espelt

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030061 - 25 Jul 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8328

Abstract

The term “collaborative economy” or “collaborative economy platforms” refers to exchange, sharing, and collaboration in the consumption and production of capital and labor among distributed groups, supported by a digital platform. Collaborative economies’ use is growing rapidly and exponentially, creating high expectations of [...] Read more.

The term “collaborative economy” or “collaborative economy platforms” refers to exchange, sharing, and collaboration in the consumption and production of capital and labor among distributed groups, supported by a digital platform. Collaborative economies’ use is growing rapidly and exponentially, creating high expectations of sustainability and their potential to contribute to the democratization of the economy. However, collaborative economy platforms lack a holistic framework to assess their sustainability and pro-democratization qualities. In addition, there is confusion about platforms which present themselves as collaborative when they actually are not, and similar uncertainties and ambiguities are associated with diverse models. To address this confusion, this article provides a framework for assessing the pro-democratic qualities of collaborative economy initiatives. It was applied to 10 cases in the context of the city of Barcelona. The methods used in this study include mapping and typifying 10 collaborative economy cases in the city, structured and in-depth interviews, and a co-creation session. The results indicate the presence of several modalities for favoring democratic values in a collaborative economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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18 pages, 3414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Producing Opportunities Together: Sharing-Based Policy Approaches for Marginal Mobilities in Bogotá

by Giovanni Vecchio

Urban Sci. 2018, 2(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030054 - 2 Jul 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4150

Abstract

Everyday mobility practices are increasingly an element of interest for urban policy, as well as for suggesting alternative solutions to urban issues. Amongst their manifold contributions, practices can be relevant for securing individuals’ access to places and opportunities. They can do so by [...] Read more.

Everyday mobility practices are increasingly an element of interest for urban policy, as well as for suggesting alternative solutions to urban issues. Amongst their manifold contributions, practices can be relevant for securing individuals’ access to places and opportunities. They can do so by promoting services and behaviours based on resources that individuals may share between themselves. This role could be significant especially for those settings where the traditional provision of transport services and infrastructures is more difficult, such as in the informal settlements of the urban South. Drawing on these assumption, this paper intends to investigate policy solutions based on mobility practices, as a suitable way to enhance the access to urban opportunities from informal settlements. Policy approaches focused on mobility supply and demand are explored, addressing options such as the coproduction of mobility services and behavioural approaches based on demand matchmaking. A possible operationalization of such approaches is explored in the marginal informal neighbourhoods of Bogotá, considering their accessibility issues, how shared use mobility policies may tackle them, and what features are necessary for the implementation of such measures. The proposed policy measures emerge as suitable operational options that nonetheless require recognition and support by the institutions responsible for urban mobility planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharing Cities Shaping Cities)

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