Norwich Sharing City is a non-profit campaign for Norwich to become the UK's leading sharing city by the year 2020. We want to join a global alliance of connected cities that are embracing the rise of the collaborative economy.
The collaborative economy (sometimes called the sharing or platform economy) refers to the use of digital technologies to access knowledge, goods, services and money from any kind of people-powered networks. Some well-known examples include Airbnb, Deliveroo, Uber and Facebook’s Marketplace.
While these are the platforms that often feature in the news, the sharing movement is bigger and bolder than Silicon Valley. In fact, it’s already active in grassroots communities all over the world, including here in Norwich. By working together, we can solve problems and create new opportunities that benefit everyone.
We believe that cross-border collaboration with other cities can help us use technology for social good, find and exchange solutions to practical everyday problems, and develop a strong local economy that empowers people to share as much or as little as they want to.
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Every city is different and every city needs to utilise its local context and resources to find its own approach to the collaborative economy, depending on its individual circumstances and priorities. In Norwich, we experience a variety of challenges such as homelessness, pollution, gentrification and a lack of inclusivity, and many of them could be addressed through sharing.
Norwich Sharing City will bring together local communities, associations, businesses, institutions and authorities to define the goals, projects, events and initiatives of the campaign. The six pillars below focus on areas where we believe the collaborative economy can offer solutions and benefits.
We want to encourage the sharing of assets – such as cars, bicycles and homes – for the benefit of the whole city, so that everybody can enjoy more efficiency and convenience in their daily lives. The collaborative economy means owning and using less, but still being able to access everything you need easily and affordably via local networks.
We want to help our local businesses thrive, encourage entrepreneurship and attract new investment and enterprise to Norwich. Keeping the values we hold as citizens at the forefront, our campaign will support and promote sustainable urban development and champion the creation of a vibrant ecosystem for fresh ideas and ambitious startups.
Our urban population grew by almost 8% between 2004 and 2014, making Norwich one of the UK’s five fast-growth cities. As our city expands and develops, we want to adopt circular solutions that make better use of resources, reduce all forms of waste and protect our environment for future generations.
Participation in the collaborative economy requires internet access and the skills to use technology seamlessly. We want everybody in our city to be happy and comfortable using smart devices to get things done. As part of our campaign, we’ll work to improve digital inclusion across Norwich by supporting and kickstarting schemes to educate and empower citizens online.
We’re known for “doing different” here in Norwich, and our campaign will embrace city-to-city learning to share knowledge, experiences and solutions with others. We’ll collaborate across borders with cities like Amsterdam, Seoul and New York – places that have already declared themselves part of the global sharing cities movement.
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