Short answer

Designers should explore opportunities to create services and platforms that facilitate resource sharing within urban environments, focusing on user experience, community building, and regulatory compliance.

Field
Sustainability
Source
Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University) (2014)
Method
Mixed-methods research including literature analysis, qualitative interviews, and case studies.
Evidence
Strong effect

The 'Sharing City' concept leverages Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and community collaboration to mitigate the environmental impact of urban consumption and underutilized resources. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2014 study published in Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University). Using Mixed-methods research including literature analysis, qualitative interviews, and case studies., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should explore opportunities to create services and platforms that facilitate resource sharing within urban environments, focusing on user experience, community building, and regulatory compliance.

Study
SustainabilityHigh ImpactStrong effect

Sharing Cities: A Sustainable Urban Model Driven by ICT and Community Engagement

The 'Sharing City' concept leverages Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and community collaboration to mitigate the environmental impact of urban consumption and underutilized resources.

Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University) · 2014

01

Key Findings

  • 01Structural economic changes, the recent economic crisis, evolving attitudes towards ownership, and ICT advancements are key enablers of the Sharing City concept.
  • 02Driving forces include robust ICT infrastructure, active civil society, and supportive city administrations.
  • 03Obstacles are primarily found in legal frameworks, particularly in sectors like food, transportation, housing, and employment, due to both restrictive regulations and a lack of specific sharing-focused policies.
  • 04Sharing Cities offer benefits across economic, environmental, social, and democratic dimensions, though commercial expansion poses a potential criticism.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers should explore opportunities to create services and platforms that facilitate resource sharing within urban environments, focusing on user experience, community building, and regulatory compliance.

How to apply

When designing urban services or products, consider how they can be shared, reused, or accessed collaboratively to reduce consumption and waste.

Project actions

  • 01Investigate existing sharing initiatives in your local area or a chosen city.
  • 02Consider how technology can be used to overcome barriers to sharing.
  • 03Explore the social and economic impacts of sharing models.
03

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the key drivers, obstacles, and potentials of the 'Sharing City' concept in fostering sustainable urban development?
MethodMixed-methods research including literature analysis, qualitative interviews, and case studies.
ProcedureThe study analyzed existing literature on the sharing economy and urban development, conducted interviews with relevant stakeholders, and examined three specific case studies of cities implementing sharing initiatives.
ContextUrban development and the sharing economy.

Variables

IV["Availability of ICT infrastructure","Strength of civil society engagement","Accommodation of city administration","Vibrancy of sharing business scene","Legal and regulatory frameworks"]
DV["Emergence and success of Sharing City initiatives","Economic benefits","Environmental benefits","Social benefits","Democratic benefits"]
CV["Urbanization rate","Economic conditions","Societal attitudes towards ownership"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Comprehensive literature review providing theoretical grounding.
  • +Use of multiple case studies offering diverse perspectives on implementation.
  • +Qualitative interviews providing in-depth insights from stakeholders.

Limitations

The legal and regulatory landscape for sharing services is constantly evolving, which can make it difficult to design long-term sustainable solutions.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability is supported by a structured methodology combining literature review, interviews, and case studies. Validity is enhanced by examining multiple facets of the Sharing City concept and its implementation challenges.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'Sharing City' model truly address systemic issues of overconsumption, or does it risk merely optimizing existing unsustainable patterns?

05

Design Principles

"Design for resource optimization through collaborative consumption and community-driven initiatives."

This approach offers a framework for designing more sustainable urban environments by promoting resource efficiency and fostering community participation. It challenges traditional ownership models and encourages innovative service design that benefits both users and the city.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Cities can become more sustainable by encouraging people to share things like cars, tools, or even living spaces, using technology to make it easy and building community support.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use the concept of Sharing Cities to frame a design project focused on sustainable urban solutions.
  • 2.Reference the study's findings on drivers and obstacles when justifying design choices or identifying areas for innovation.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The 'Sharing City' concept, as examined by Dlugosz (2014), highlights the potential for urban environments to become more sustainable by fostering collaborative consumption, enabled by advancements in ICT and strong community engagement. This model addresses issues of overconsumption and underutilized resources, offering a framework for designing more efficient and community-oriented urban systems.

09

Source

Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University)

The Rise of the Sharing City: Examining Origins and Futures of Urban Sharing

journal · 2014

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about sharing cities: a sustainable urban model driven by ict and community engagement?
Designers should explore opportunities to create services and platforms that facilitate resource sharing within urban environments, focusing on user experience, community building, and regulatory compliance. Evidence: Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University) (2014).
Why does "Sharing Cities: A Sustainable Urban Model Driven by ICT and Community Engagement" matter for design?
This approach offers a framework for designing more sustainable urban environments by promoting resource efficiency and fostering community participation. It challenges traditional ownership models and encourages innovative service design that benefits both users and the city.
How can designers apply this research?
Designers should explore opportunities to create services and platforms that facilitate resource sharing within urban environments, focusing on user experience, community building, and regulatory compliance.
What were the main findings?
Structural economic changes, the recent economic crisis, evolving attitudes towards ownership, and ICT advancements are key enablers of the Sharing City concept.. Driving forces include robust ICT infrastructure, active civil society, and supportive city administrations.. Obstacles are primarily found in legal frameworks, particularly in sectors like food, transportation, housing, and employment, due to both restrictive regulations and a lack of specific sharing-focused policies.. Sharing Cities offer benefits across economic, environmental, social, and democratic dimensions, though commercial expansion poses a potential criticism.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods research including literature analysis, qualitative interviews, and case studies..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2014 journal from Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University).
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing urban services or products, consider how they can be shared, reused, or accessed collaboratively to reduce consumption and waste.
What are the limitations?
The study's findings may be context-specific to the case studies examined, and the rapid evolution of the sharing economy means some conditions may have changed since 2014.