Power-Nap? Rent An On-Demand Private Space In The City

It has become increasingly common to share facilities and goods in today’s cities. The sharing trend does not only limit itself to music, movies and other goods, but also to private spaces in cities. A startup company in London is taking the Airbnb idea to a whole new level.

Pop & Rest started in 2015, after the founders realized that the city of London was having a lack of private and peaceful spaces that would allow passers-through and citizens from the other side of town to recharge for a few hours. With the aim of connecting travellers and locals alike, Mauricio and Yoann founded Pop & Rest, which basically works like Airbnb for a shortened time period. Hosts can sign up and have their flat, room, studio or office space listed on the homepage. By uploading a few pictures, adding a description, availability and a few other details, you are ready to go and can rent out your private space on an hourly basis and allow others to simply freshen up, shower or take a nap.

Pop & Rest is not the only company taking part in the sharing economy in cities. Plot, a Manchester-based company, is offering a green space within the urban city center, for the masses that prefer access over ownership. The project was first set up as part of the city’s urban gardening festival. With the help of their smartphone, users could reserve a 2-hour time slot in a rooftop garden for themselves or a group, in order to host a yoga session, soak up the sun or just simply escape the city bustle for a while. Once the reservation is confirmed, the Plot user may use the garden and provided Wi-Fi for a maximum of two hours.

Both Plot and Pop&Rest explore the idea of private and outdoor space as an on-demand service, instead of solely relying on the inflexible concept of ownership. In times where we stream music, movies and series, and the sharing economy is increasingly being involved in city making and the way we live, these companies have grasped the concept and transferred it to private and green space.