Athens joined over 40 cities worldwide in an effort to address the challenges arising from the sharing economy, especially the impact of Airbnb after signing a declaration in Barcelona, this week, during the Sharing Cities Summit.
A number of cities, including New York, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Seoul, Washington, Singapore, and Copenhagen, among others, will exchange views on how to hammer out common policies and focus on solutions in the face of the rapid expansion of sharing economies.
Athens Mayor Georgios Kaminis stressed that the Greek capital was part of the common efforts to focus on the sharing economy phenomenon “in efforts to initiate dialogue in Greece among stakeholders”.
Mr Kaminis signed the declaration at the Sharing Cities Summit in Barcelona, together with mayors representing the international network of cities in the alliance. Their goal is to address the impact of sharing economy practices on the economy, employment, the environment, labor, culture, and on citizens’ rights.

He underlined that the participants wanted to form a realistic regulatory framework that would benefit the city, its citizens and the professionals affected by the expansion of the sharing economy.
According to the Sharing Cities Alliance, the “sharing of goods and services among citizens and local businesses benefits the local economy, improves social cohesion and boosts sustainability and overall quality of life”.