Our cities are in a constant state of flux and these changes - physical, economic, social, cultural and technological - are the result of a complex interplay of government policies, market forces and social practices which are, ultimately, influenced by globalisation and capitalism. Many of these changes are incremental, weaving themselves into the urban fabric and our social and economic lives without much fanfare or immediately obvious impacts. However, in the last five years or so a series of technological innovations/innovators and market disruptions/disruptors have led to a number of profound changes to the ways in which goods and services are delivered and markets are organised. Moreover, these innovations and disruptions have had, and continue to have, impacts on key aspects of the structure and function of cities. These impacts – positive/negative - are yet to be fully experienced, or systematically analysed by urban planning/policy scholars. This special issue of Urban Policy and Research seeks to contribute to both the scholarly and policy debates surrounding the so-called ‘sharing economy’. It does this by focusing on key segments of the sharing economy within Australia and other global cities and exploring their disruptive impacts on urban systems and urban life.