Building Sharing Community

Library of Things (LOT) is a non-profit sharing centre that encourages its users to rent items they would typically have to buy. The emphasis is on items usually used only a couple of times per year. The project helped users save money, time, and space and educated them about the environmental and social benefits of the sharing economy through positive personal experiences.

The project brought the concept of LOT closer to the tenants of Novo Brdo and encouraged them to build social bonds with activities centered around the community pavilion in the neighbourhood. Novo Brdo is the youngest public rental housing project in Ljubljana, with approximately 700 units. Through the project, a form was adapted with the content initiated by the residents. The selected structure provided enough ways to identify site-specific challenges through an initial series of workshops, each addressing different topics. Semi-structured workshops were the foundation of the cooperation with the residents.

The main target group was tenants of the Novo Brdo neighborhood, who benefit the most economically and socially from the new services and social content in their home area. Other target groups were young families, students, and ethical consumers from the broader Brdo/Vrhovci area – it is crucial to connect residents from Novo Brdo with the broader area to destigmatize new residents and to change the point of view of older residents.

The project was part of the strategy of Ljubljana Circular City 2045, adopted in 2022 by the City of Ljubljana. The strategy recognises LOT as a good practice, with concrete activitiessupporting the opening of new units.