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April Rinne, Chief Strategy Officer in Collaborative Lab, lays out the basic trends that underscore the concept of Shareable City, arguing that whether cities get their approach to Shareable Cities right will be path-critical to their future success. A Shareable City enables residents to efficiently and safely share all kinds of assets ‘“ from spaces to cars, skills and utilities ‘“ to create stronger, healthier and more connected communities.
According to Mrs Rinne cities that embrace this idea will discover powerful and efficient solutions that could positively change transport, jobs, education, tourism, food and many other aspects of the way people live.
At the heart of the Shareable City concept are the collaborative consumption models:
Collaborative consumption models tap into the concept of idling capacity: the underutilized value in assets. When assets sit idle, inefficiency results ‘“ lost revenues, more expensive overhead, value left on the table. “Assets’ doesn’ t mean simply money, cars and homes; it includes our skills, public spaces, rooftops, parking lots and much more.
Idling capacity exists in assets throughout a city, yet in most instances it’ s hidden so we don’ t see it. We think nothing of cars that sit idle 23 hours a day, and offices that are empty 70% of the time. This includes assets owned by the city itself, which results in a more expensive city to run.
Tapping into the idling capacity of assets costs essentially nothing. It doesn’ t require massive infrastructure investments or a rerouting of current systems. A city can save money, create additional revenue sources, or both ‘“ simply by using its resources more efficiently. Moreover it can unlock massive wealth in the broader community, by enabling more people to become productively engaged, generating income, and bringing neighbors back into relationship with one another.