Urban Sharing in Melbourne

“Urban Sharing in Melbourne” explores the landscape of the sharing economy in the city context and is a result of a Mobile Research Lab conducted by four researchers from Lund University in 2021-2022 online.

The specific focus is on three sectors: sharing of space, mobility, and physical goods. For each sector, drivers and barriers to the sharing economy are explored, associated sustainability impacts and impacts on incumbent sectors are discussed, and the institutional context is analysed. We also investigated effects of the pandemic on sharing economy organisations and their response strategies. Then the role of the city council in engaging with the sharing economy and specific governance mechanisms employed by the city council are described.

We find that the sharing economy in Melbourne is among the most vibrant and diverse
in Australia. Most people typically know of the larger platforms, such as Uber and Airbnb, and sometimes local car-sharing initiatives like GoGet or CarNextDoor. However, many smaller initiatives remain virtually unknown and struggle to scale up. The sharing economy also has a small place in public governance agendas regarding sustainable development. It has the potential to contribute to multiple city agendas,
including but not limited to the circular economy and climate change.