Innovation in Local Policies to Advance Sharable Cities
Adopted at the 82nd Annual Meeting in 2014
WHEREAS, in 2013, The United States Conference of Mayors adopted a resolutionIn Support of Policies for Sharable Cities advocating the development of local policies to make cities more shareable in order to redefine the ways that goods and services are exchanged, valued and created amongst citizens by enabling affordable access as an alternative to ownership; and
WHEREAS, mayors are leading the nation in developing innovative new public policies to support the evolution of the sharing economy while assuring proper protection of the public and consumer interest and the appropriate incidence of taxation,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the continued innovation and dissemination by mayors of policy, fiscal, and regulatory frameworks at the local level to develop and broaden the social and economic benefits of collaborative consumption and encourages mayors to take local action such as the following: Create and manage city bike sharing programs; and Incorporate car sharing in new multi-unit housing developments; and Develop and apply taxation frameworks for car sharing that achieve municipal purposes and are appropriate to collaborative consumption; and Remove barriers and apply appropriately tailored zoning for urban agriculture for the farming and selling of crops on urban properties; and Consider a tax increment subvention for property owners who farm vacant or underutilized urban lots in blighted areas; and Inventory land within the city that may have potential for temporary or permanent food cultivation; and Make available commercial kitchens in city and other local facilities to act as incubators for restaurateurs and other emergent food enterprises; and Facilitate the creation of accessory dwelling units; and Allow short-term rentals of homeowner residential units, with appropriate limits on guest nights, percentage of income generated, and other regulatory controls; and Facilitate the temporary use of empty commercial spaces with appropriate incentives and disincentives for property owners and banks.