Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons

“Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons” showcases over a hundred sharing-related case studies and model policies from more than 80 cities in 35 countries. It both witnesses a growing global movement and serves as a practical reference guide for community-based solutions to urgent challenges faced by cities everywhere. This book is a call to action meant to inspire readers with ideas, raise awareness of the impressive range of local efforts, and strengthen the sharing movement worldwide. “Sharing Cities” shows that not only is another world possible, but that much of it is already here.

"'Sharing Cities' shows that the answer is us. It lays out a vision, with concrete examples, of how we can ease pressure on the planet, increase access to the things people need, and strengthen our democracy through sharing. Read this book and let's get started building a better world!" — Annie Leonard, executive director, Greenpeace USA and author of "The Story of Stuff"

"By far the best single guide to the exploding commons revolution: Practical and revolutionary; immediate and far-seeing; a truly indispensable and fast-moving handbook on the change that is building community from the ground-up worldwide." — Gar Alperovitz, co-founder of The Democracy Collaborative and author of “What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About the Next American Revolution”

"Optimistic, collaboratively created, with anticipation of ongoing evolution, this book provides examples of concrete forays into the new sustainable, equitable, and just economy we must and are building in cities." — Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, author of “Peers, Inc.”

"Cities are the largest, most effective, and truly natural amalgamation of humans. Unlike nation states, cities are organic commons, which have evolved to circulate value and resources to its many members. Once again, Shareable shows how we can retrieve the very best features of urban life — consciously, constructively, and creatively." — Douglas Rushkoff, author of “Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity” and host of the Team Human podcast

"If you’re like me, you’re frequently asked to back up your ideas with real-world examples. Here’s a fantastic resource to do just that. Created by many of the world’s leading sharing researchers and practitioners, it’s a highly accessible collection of the most exciting and innovative cases of sharing and commoning now underway around the world. With excellent framing essays, “Sharing Cities” is indispensable for anyone interested in sharing, new economics, and system change. Make a space for it on your bookshelf." — Juliet Schor, professor of Sociology at Boston College and author of “Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth”

"Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has promoted sharing city policies and projects since its declaration in 2012 as a sharing city. However, learning from other cities has not been easy. This book, containing over 130 case studies and model policies from around the world, will help us and other officials, enterprises, and citizens striving to create sharing cities. The SMG hopes this book will spread around the world and help the sharing cities movement thrive.
— Mayor Park Won-soon, Seoul, South Korea

"In “Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons,” Shareable has crowdsourced a groundbreaking international compendium of sharing policies and practices that both inspire us with their vision and creativity, and call upon us to share much more, more widely, and more often. The diversity of sharing is impressive: from food to finance, from work to waste, each case is a tried and tested community-based solution. This is the essential roadmap to what is possible." — Julian Agyeman, professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University and co-author of “Sharing Cities: A Case for Truly Smart and Sustainable Cities”