2016 Theses Master's

Hacking as Adaptation: A New Agenda for Planning Through the Lens of Copenhagen's Sharing Economy

Patel, Isha

This thesis examines the impacts of entrepreneurial initiatives in associated with Copenhagen’s sharing economy, in an effort to understand the role of hacking in adapting to given socioeconomic, political, or environmental conditions. Understood as a process undertaken by an actor outside of an established system to rudimentarily derive an outcome in a way that tends to shift existing power dynamics, hacking is explored a potential tool for cultivating communities that are capable of both proactive and reactive change. The study asks if a hack can generate adaptation that is fundamentally transformative and offers recommendations on ways that planners can leverage hacking to battle contemporary urban challenges. It simultaneously considers the impacts of a hacking environment, taking Copenhagen’ s startup ecosystem as an example. The methodology includes interviews, a Twitter analysis, and supplementary qualitative assessments.