What Happened?
Cities are adopting sharing policies that allow partnerships to arise between public organizations, private entities and nonprofit organizations. Through collaborative initiatives, municipalities are able to make better use of available resources, reduce spending and improve the delivery of services to residents.
The Goal
The transition to a more sharing economy is a departure from the stringent capitalist tradition that U.S. cities are accustomed to, with laws and resource management governed at the state and local levels. The move toward sharing policies is making it easier for municipalities to reduce burdens on citizens, infrastructure and environmental resources. Many cities have already launched bike-sharing programs, consolidation strategies and shared services initiatives that allow groups to work together to meet mutual goals more efficiently than if they pursued them independently.
Sharing Is Caring
The Sustainable Economies Law Center put together a document identifying components of successful sharing economies and programs. Through proper preparation and infrastructure framework, experts believe a sharing economy can help municipalities prosper, reduce crime and increase efficiency.
While there are numerous routes to take when considering a sharing initiative, the law center focused on a few key areas:
- Transportation Cities are investing in car and bike sharing programs to reduce the need for all residents to own a car. Many municipalities are finding success with implementing economic incentives for ridesharing programs that take carpooling to the next level and eliminate excess vehicles and emissions from congested roadways.
- Food Urban areas are branching out with city farming projects that encourage neighborhoods and residents to grow their own produce and sell locally at an affordable price. By changing zing codes and clearing away vacant lots, urban agriculture can boost a city’s economic activity, the wellness of residents and access to nutritional foods.
- Housing Affordable housing has a history of nurturing crime or perpetuating the poverty cycle. Cooperative housing strategies, however, work to make accessory dwelling units, small homes and other more efficient units more affordable and accessible to local residents. Making it easier for small living options to be constructed can alleviate burdens on housing when populations increase quickly.
- Job Creation It is the priority of municipality leaders to make resources and financial assistance available to residents and local businesses looking to enter into the sharing economy. There should be a seamless integration of cooperative goods and services into the local economy, offer educational programs to encourage such transactions and make better use of open space for new jobs and business opportunities.
Take It From South Korea
Seoul, South Korea, is taking sharing initiatives to a whole new level. The Seoul Innovation Bureau is funding the “Sharing City, Seoul” project which involves expanding the city’s shared infrastructure, supporting sharing enterprises, launching sharing startups, making better use of idle resources and increasing public access to data and technology.
The overall strategy is to optimize available resources and encourage innovation while staying in a tight budget. Goals of the program include:
- Increased incomes
- Combat environmental concerns
- Reduce excess consumption or waste
- Build trusting relationships between residents, government and businesses
What’s Mine Is Yours
Gov1 has kept track of cooperative arrangements across the country including shared services programs and open data platforms.