Unlocking the Sharing Economy: Investigating the Barriers for the Sharing Economy in a City Context

Summary

The sharing economy has gained much attention recently as Airbnb and Uber are spreading across the world, but little is known about how to unlock the true potential of the sharing economy. As such, this study aims to unearth the barriers and challenges associated with the sharing economy platform environment in the city of Umeå, Sweden. The qualitative case study focuses on sharing economy efforts in the city of Umeå, a city characterized by high technical competency and world leading broadband connectivity, while having almost no activity in the digital sharing economy. The study identifies the barriers, pathways, and opportunities related to the sharing economy and how they apply to the city of Umeå. As such the study reveals the ways in which the sharing economy can help a city increase their digital density as well as making the city more attractive for those living in and traveling through the area.