Sharing City Seoul and the Future of City Governance

Abstract

This chapter looks at the impact of the sharing economy on the governance of cities. The Sharing City Seoul Project is used as a case study to ascertain this impact. Seoul is one of the leading cities when it comes to innovation in the sharing economy. Its experience has already informed other global cities around the world, including New York City and Amsterdam. The chapter unpacks the policy interventions that took place in Seoul to inform future approaches to governing cities in other countries. The short-term micro effects of the sharing economy on the governance of cities are already underway. These effects suggest that regulatory schemes are being adjusted to enable innovation in the sharing economy. The long-term macro effects seem to usher in wider governance implications. There is a constitutional imperative where cities are emerging as independent actors on the international stage, with their own sui generis legal personalities. Cities need to adjust their regulatory approaches to secure a first mover advantage on reaping the benefits from these effects. The vertical relationship between federal, state and local government (in particular, urban or city-region governments) needs to be reassessed in light of these effects.