Sharing residential spaces: a comparative study of willingness to share in the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden

Abstract One strategy for reducing the environmental impact of urban residential systems is the development of shared-access spaces that allow multiple households to use facilities that are typically privately owned. To date, however, cross-contextual evidence on interest in such arrangements remains limited, particularly for specific types of shared spaces. This study draws on a survey of 3077 individuals in the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden to examine self-reported willingness to share three types of residential spaces: kitchen-and-dining areas, work-from-home spaces, and workshops. Using ordered logit models, we analyze how stated willingness varies with socio-demographic characteristics, prior experience, attitudes, and national context. The results indicate that responses differ across both space types and countries, with consistent positive associations observed for prior experience, environmental efficacy, and self-reported extraversion. At the same time, substantial variation across demographic groups and national contexts suggests that interest in shared-access spaces is not uniform. While a considerable share of respondents express openness to at least some forms of sharing, the findings should be interpreted as indicative of stated preferences under hypothetical conditions rather than realized demand. These results contribute to a more differentiated understanding of how interest in shared residential functions varies across populations and contexts, and provide a basis for further research on the design and feasibility of shared-access housing models.