Ghost of Midnight

Neighbors and the sharing economy

Call it the sharing economy, sustainable living, or just old fashion Yankee frugality and neighborliness, but working with neighbors to save a buck and lighten your tread on our planet is hep!  The survey below jibes with our ten-plus years of experience hosting Front Porch Forum across Vermont communities.  Good stuff.

[Nextdoor is] excited to release the findings from a recent survey conducted with Harris Interactive that examines the growing role of neighborhoods in building a shared economy. The results are inspiring; they indicate that neighbors trust their neighbors, are willing to share with people who live nearby, and would share more frequently if they had an easier way to coordinate activities such as yard sales or carpools.

Here are a few highlights from the survey findings:

• Top 10 things people are willing to share with neighbors: food (78%), tools (71%), yard equipment (64%), a bike (36%), clothing (26%), shelter (26%), electronics (24%), kid’s toys (24%), childcare/babysitters (24%), a vehicle (15%).
• Reduce and reuse: 64% of Americans would be more likely to buy/sell an item if the buyer/seller lived close to their home.
• Garage sales: 52% of Americans would be more likely to host a garage sale in spring if they had an easy way to get the word out to their neighbors.
• Ride-share: 51% of Americans would engage in carpools with neighbors if they had an easy way to coordinate.
• Save money: 50% of Americans would work together with their neighbors to save money (e.g., group discounts on home services, split child care costs, shared meals) if they had a way to coordinate it.

Check out the full blog post here.