The sharing renaissance: insights from research on urban logistics networks
Authors:   Katedra Transportu, Wydział Ekonomii, Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach, Katowice, Polska, Hanusik Andrzej 
Published: November 2023

Sharing economy and sharing mobility are concepts that are gaining popu- larity year by year and have become an integral part of the landscape of practi- cally every larger city. However, it should be emphasized that sharing economy is not a new concept, and its manifestations can already be observed in the be- haviour of primitive peoples. Nevertheless, sharing is currently undergoing a kind of renaissance and is becoming one of the directions of development for contemporary society. This situation makes sharing economy a very good sub- ject for economic research, and its apparent novelty means that many of its as- pects remain unexplored. The sharing economy has an undeniable impact on shaping urban logistics networks. Shared mobility plays a primary role in this case, although other forms of sharing will also affect network connections in cities. The research focuses on the main nodes of the sharing economy occurring in the urban logistics network. In order to determine the asymmetry of solutions, the decision was made to con- duct research in the Metropolis GZM. Limiting the research to one study area will allow for a thorough analysis of the sharing economy in the selected urban logistics network. Additionally, the obtained results may serve as a basis for further research in this area. The research methods and techniques used in the work are based on the so- called methodological triangulation  analysis of existing data, qualitative re- search, and quantitative research. Such a research structure will allow for a thor- ough analysis of the problem and obtaining reliable conclusions. This book consists of three chapters. The first two provide the theoretical basis of the study, while the third chapter presents the results of the conducted research. Chapter one provides a detailed overview of the concept of the sharing economy, its theoretical foundations, and a description of the genesis of sharing and the historical evolution of sharing-based solutions. The chapter concludes with a characterization of key concepts based on the assumptions of the sharing economy. The chapter is based on a review of Polish- and English-language literature on the sharing economy, economic history, and online resources. The second chapter is an attempt to apply the sharing economy to the theory of urban logistics networks. However, it should be noted that the theory of urban logistics networks is not strongly established in the literature, so the entire chap- ter is based on a query of both Polish- and English-language literature on the subject, as well as information obtained through individual in-depth interviews. The chapter also characterizes the asymmetry that may occur in the sharing economy in urban logistics networks  addressing the problem of information asymmetry as well as solution asymmetry. Chapter three consists of two parts  the first one concerns the asymmetry of individual solutions, while the second one is a taxonomic analysis of cities and municipalities affiliated with the Metropolis GZM. These parts are also di- vided according to the period of the conducted research, which is 2020 (baseline period) and 2021 (reference period). The chapter presents both the methodologi- cal assumptions of the conducted research and the obtained results. This book is directed towards individuals interested in the topics of the sharing economy, urban logistics networks, and information asymmetry and its evaluation methodology. The results of the conducted research can be useful for both platform managers in shaping their offerings, as well as public administra- tion authorities in integrating the sharing economy with the city's transport poli- cy. The thesis may also serve as a foundation for further in-depth research and become a stimulus for starting an academic debate.