The concept of an “Urban Sharing Society” assumes that sharing economy approaches can be developed more sustainably when embedded in broader urban transition processes. At the same time, urban transitions can profit from sharing approaches as an alternative economic paradigm and contribution to societal well-being.

In this 5-year, inter- and transdisciplinary research project, upscaling strategies for an Urban Sharing Society will be explored in the German city of Wuppertal. The goal is to analyze sharing practices among different user groups, develop sustainability-oriented sharing business models, and identify suitable governance approaches for “sharing cities”. To address these objectives, a systemic perspective is adopted, integrating socio-cultural and economic dimensions through the analysis of narratives and business models and how they are interrelated in upscaling processes. The ecological and societal impacts of sharing practices in different fields of application will be assessed in order to inform policy and strategy on sustainable up-scaling strategies.