Overview
ISO/TR 42507:2025 (Technical Report) presents practical use cases of sharing economy platforms in the public sector. Published by ISO in 2025, the document is designed to help municipalities and public administrations adopt suitable sharing-economy models to increase public value and improve the efficiency of public services. It organizes case studies, objectives, models and implementation considerations to make the sharing economy actionable for government contexts.
Key topics
- Scope and objectives: clarifies how sharing platforms can address social challenges (e.g., resource scarcity, ageing populations, disaster response) and support sustainable public systems.
- Use case models: describes model types used by public bodies, including Owner model, Partner model, Aggregator model, and Intergovernment model.
- Structured use cases: detailed cases (A–I) such as shared gardening/urban farming, food drives, room sharing after hospitalization, working opportunities, local tourism, family support, car sharing, healthcare digital service and data platforms, and shared mobility places.
- Implementation elements: each case includes overview, challenges, initiatives, results and remaining issues - useful for planning, risk assessment and stakeholder engagement.
- Terms and normative references: includes definitions and references to support consistent understanding.
Practical applications
ISO/TR 42507 is primarily a guidance resource (not a normative standard) and is useful for:
- Municipalities and local governments assessing which sharing-economy model fits local policy goals.
- Public administrators and service designers seeking concrete examples to implement community resource-sharing programs.
- Policy makers evaluating social, economic and operational impacts of platform-based public services.
- Urban planners and social service agencies exploring collaborative solutions for food security, mobility, housing and care.
- Platform operators and NGOs partnering with government to scale civic sharing projects.
Use cases support decision-making on platform governance, stakeholder roles, service outcomes and unresolved issues that require local adaptation.
Related standards (if applicable)
ISO/TR 42507 is a Technical Report prepared by ISO/TC 324 (Sharing economy). Users should consult national guidance and related ISO documents on digital platforms, data governance and public procurement when designing or procuring sharing-economy solutions for the public sector.
Keywords: ISO/TR 42507, sharing economy, public sector, sharing economy platforms, municipalities, local government, public services, use cases.