Empowering connections: Relations, collaborations, and community in sharing mobility

Economic and socio-spatial relations are a crucial outcome of the sharing economy, which is often discussed as a re-socialising practice of economic exchange. In all forms of sharing mobility, such relations produce very different meanings and outcomes, which inevitably have various impacts on those involved. This chapter will draw from user studies of popular carpooling services to focus on the level of community engagement within sharing platforms. It will examine what communities are in this context, and how they compare with other social formations. In particular, our analysis will focus on the relational, fiduciary, and reputational features of sharing mobility practices to assess the extent to which these communities are based on hybridised online/offline connections, brand affiliations and commonalities of mobility practice.