The relationship between the concepts of sharing economy and smart cities: the case of shared mobility and smart transport

Abstract

The sharing economy and smart city concepts have been growing in importance in the research activities worldwide. The main purpose of the article is to explore the interactions and complementarity of these models. This conceptual paper discusses how the sharing economy concept can support progress in achieving the smart city idea. Special attention is paid to the role of shared mobility (i.e., ridesourcing, ridesharing, carsharing and bike-sharing) in developing smart mobility. Shared mobility has the potential to improve the use of assets and contributes to a reduction in the number of passenger cars in congested cities. The methodology of the research includes a literature review and a deductive research method. The research has shown that both these concepts are important for the future of cities to make them more sustainable and provide a high quality of life for residents and visitors. The results of this study can be useful for policy makers, especially at local and regional levels.