It's always interesting how the media covers the sharing economy.
Take for example the coverage of the recent National League of Cities report Cities and the Innovation Economy: Perceptions of Local Leaders.
It reports that 55% of cities have a good or very good relationship with sharing economy companies like Airbnb and Uber (see chart below; click to enlarge) and that 4 out of 5 cities support the growth of the sharing economy.
It also found that 16% of cities currently partner with sharing economy companies and 79% of those who don't would be open to partnering.
These are very positive numbers and show a large majority of U.S. cities favor the sharing economy.
So naturally, Fast Company's article's headline on the report is 33% Of U.S. Cities Have A “Very Poor” Relationship With Sharing Companies.
Another interesting finding is the growing use of drones by cities.
As the report chart below shows, over 40% of U.S. cities surveyed already are using drones.
The report's conclusion is:
Cities are incubators for new technology. Overall, the nation’s city officials are embracing new technologies and sharing economy platforms, and these leaders recognize the value that these new services bring to their cities and residents.
So despite the negative headlines, the sharing economy continues to expand and add value.
This is not to say cities don't have issues or concerns with the sharing economy. The report makes it clear they do, with public safety issues being the area of most concern.
But despite concerns, most cities are embracing the sharing economy.
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