How can we get more value from the same buildings?
Cities contain many different resources and spaces and typically, these resources operate as products with a single function and a single owner and/or renter. However, the owner's demand for space often varies daily or seasonally, meaning that many buildings tend to be underutilized and are often vacant or partially vacant for large portions of each day.
Meanwhile, the "sharing economy" has been one of the most significant economic shifts in the last 10 years, with companies like Uber and Airbnb experiencing explosive growth. Along these lines, Aalto University—a member of the MIT Media Lab City Science network—has developed the concept of City-as-a-Service, where building space and other resources are shared among institutions, businesses, and citizens in a community. Aalto has already begun experimenting with School-as-a-Service, as a prototype of City-as-a-Service on their campus in Espoo.