Micro-entrepreneurship meets a sharing economy with AirBnB’s newest concept.

According to a post by Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of AirBnB, the company has launched a Shared City initiative to enrich “The City of Roses” above and beyond a rental marketplace. Concepts for the pilot project include:

• Working with Travel Portland on joint campaigns to highlight small businesses and diverse neighborhoods. 
• Helping hosts donate the money they make to local causes and match those donations as a percentage of AirBnB’s fees.
• Making smoke and carbon monoxide detectors free for hosts to ensure safety.
• Cutting the red tape and collecting taxes to the city on behalf of hosts.
• Monitoring corporate property managers who abuse the AirBnB platform.
• Training programs to help hosts respond to crisis as part of a broader disaster relief and emergency plan.

We love how this vision helps to foster community in a way “where space isn’t wasted, but shared with others.” It’s an idea that we feel comes at a right time – when communities are seeing alternative resources to maintain history, preserve infrastructure, and expand urban innovation.