Coliving in the Sustainable City - A study of coliving as a sustainable urban housing strategy in Stockholm

Abstract: The challenge to limit global warming to 1.5°C requires substantial transitions in cities. Shifting consumer behaviours, property use and development are necessary to meet urban housing shortages and ensure a liveable future. Isolation and loneliness are increasing in cities and with the rise of the sharing economy system, traditional ways of living are questioned. While shared housing is nothing new to the world, new forms have evolved in response to unbalanced housing conditions and, in recent years, cities have witnessed the rise of coliving. This study intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of the prospects of key stakeholders on coliving as a model for sustainable housing. The research explores coliving within an urban planning context to identify challenges and positive implications, complimentary to the housing market. This has been done with a combined inductive and deductive approach of five qualitative interviews, document analysis, and a case study of Stockholm. The results indicate that coliving affects sustainability in urban environments by encouraging reduced consumption through sharing and access to social capital, lowering carbon emissions from densification, and providing social belonging. The findings suggest that the benefits of coliving could extend beyond urban residential spaces, providing value to local communities.