The Sharing Economy in Cities : Institutionalisation and Sustainability

Abstract: The sharing economy is a novel way of distributing physical resources facilitated by online platforms where temporary access is given to goods owned by peers or organisations. It has become prominent in urban areas where a large accumulation of resources in close proximity and the ubiquity of information and communications technology enable it to grow. Its emergence has had various impacts on existing urban systems that are essential for the well-functioning of cities. There is therefore value in exploring its institutionalisation in specific urban contexts.This PhD dissertation aims to advance understanding on (i) how two key actor groups, urban sharing organisations and municipal governments, work to shape the development of the sharing economy in cities, and (ii) which sustainability claims they use to shape this process. The study draws on 150 interviews with key sharing economy actors collected during mobile research labs in six cities: London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Malmö, San Francisco, and Toronto. The research gaps are further assessed by combining four theoretical angles: institutional work, governance theory, framing theory, and sustainability science. It was found that urban sharing organisations engage in both institutional creation and disruption when attempting to institutionalise sharing practices in cities. These modes of institutional work vary among the different organisations, and impact which sharing practices become institutionalised and which existing institutions become disrupted. As a response to the emergence of the sharing economy in cities, municipal governments have developed a portfolio of governance mechanisms. When they steer the development of urban sharing organisations, they engage in outward governance. When they define who they are in relation to the sharing economy, and direct their efforts towards their own actions, it is referred to as inward governance. Often, urban sharing organisations and municipal governments use sustainability framings to co-create the sharing economy in cities. These framings are also explored in this thesis.The study underlines that the diversity of sharing economy business models, existing institutional arrangements in cities, urban sustainability issues, and institutional work of key actors are some of the key factors influencing institutionalisation of the sharing economy in cities. These factors also determine how the sharing economy will impact urban sustainability in the future.