Urban practices and social narratives in the sharing city. The construction of imaginaries from the new communities of sharing

Identifier:  TDX:3199

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3199

Authors:  Sánchez Vergara, José Ignacio

Abstract:
This doctoral thesis focuses on the interdisciplinary study of the concept of sharing city (SC). The general objective was to explore from management, the imaginaries that are created in SC from its urban practices and social narratives. The thesis is a compendium of publications. The first is a systematic literature review on the SC concept. An important added value of this article is that it is the first academic study that examines and systematizes the practices of sharing in SC. The results strengthen the relationship between the sharing city label and how it uses place branding and place management strategies to consolidate its representation. The second publication focuses on the implementation of the SC by the institutional actor. Through the frame analysis, the strategic communication of Barcelona as a SC was explored. The results show that the local government accompanies urban growth from a social perspective, fosters narratives to identify and include more actors in the process, and transmits the values of sharing in a positive way. The third publication deals with coworking spaces in SC. The study was carried out in offices in Barcelona and Berlin, following the Grounded Theory method. The results revealed that atmospheres of place are designed to promote sharing, the commitment of members with the space/community, and that the culture of sharing is reinforced with corporate communication tools. This thesis contributes to the discussion about SC as an emerging label that focuses on community ideas and values. In addition, it places attention on urban practices and social narratives that promote the permanent relationship between city actors, as well as the search for citizen consensus.