The Sharing Economy Part 3: Workplaces
Tagged: Webinar
by Matt Goebel
Director, Clarion Associates
The sharing economy is changing the nature of the workplace in important ways, though the issue receives much less attention than hot topics like short-term rentals and ride-sharing. We see at least two important trends that planners should follow: the rise of co-working, or shared workspaces; and the intensifying and evolving use of the home for business purposes.
Shared workspaces are typically open spaces with walls and permanent workstations removed, flexible floor plans, and a variety of work environments that allow individuals to choose workspaces to fit a particular task (or mood). They can be internal to a single firm, or blend a mix of multiple tenants together (including individuals). The intent is easier communication with colleagues, faster decision-making, and increased productivity. Importantly, the shared workspace is intended to function in part as a social gathering spot and in some ways serves as a 21st century community center. While originally seen mostly with tech and creative offices, the key design features of shared workspaces are spreading to other, more traditional industries like banking and law, as well as schools and other institutional uses. And some co-working options, like “makerspaces,” provide shared access to high-end manufacturing equipment.
From an economic development perspective, shared workspaces can provide an important home base for small startup firms and entrepreneurs, helping to diversify and grow the local economy. Planners should think about opportunities to reduce the barriers to co-working, perhaps by streamlining the approval process, and making co-working a permitted use in most neighborhood mixed-use, commercial, and industrial zones.
Because of its flexible nature, co-working also provides great opportunities for adaptive reuse in a community. Communities like Denver, for example, have seen old elementary schools, banks, and convents turned into co-working spaces, in addition to older traditional office buildings that have found new life as shared workspace.
Beyond co-working, the sharing economy is also having new ripple effects on the nature of business activity in the home. As more individuals choose to pursue a livelihood in sharing economy industries like eBay and Etsy, they may not need traditional office or retail space to conduct business. Instead, they increasingly choose to work out of the home. Planners are being confronted with increasing numbers of home occupations and demand for live/work units. The typical impacts of these uses (parking, signage, employees, etc.) all need to be reexamined in light of the increased demand for these types of activities, as well as potential impacts on neighborhood character. As is often the case, it likely will be easier to deal with impacts upfront by designing new spaces specifically for a live/work split, rather than shoehorning business activity into neighborhoods originally intended solely for residential uses.
Check out these resources for additional information on shared workspaces:
This article is the third of a three-part Sharing Economy blog post series that originated from the Clarion Associates Sharing Economy webinar, which can be viewed here on our YouTube channel.
Photo Source: http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_images/kristenpaint_1440014310_Industrious%202-3%5B1%5D.jpg