When you think of co-working spaces - where workers from different industries come together to share a convenient workplace - you might picture a group of young freelancers hunched over laptops. But today's co-working spaces have evolved into something more powerful - particularly in a world still reshuffling office work practices in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
Author
- Mariachiara Barzotto
Senior Lecturer in Management Strategy and Organisation, University of Bath
As workplaces adapt to new ways of operating, from hybrid to "digital nomadism" , co-working spaces can do more than simply offer flexibility. They can support workers' wellbeing and work-life balance by enhancing a sense of community, building trust and new friendships, and encouraging continuous learning .
Research I undertook with colleagues shows these spaces may also play a role in addressing societal challenges. They can provide support for workers with family or caring responsibilities and enhance digital connectivity in under-served areas by offering faster, stable internet access. They can also encourage knowledge-sharing around new technology - while reducing the need for long commutes, which brings environmental benefits.
Other research shows that co-working staff tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction and wellbeing, particularly compared with those working at home . There are various reasons for this.
The ability to choose how and where to work, to exchange knowledge with others on-site, and to avoid long commutes all contribute to better mental health, happiness and wellbeing.
Productivity can also be boosted by, for example, the social support and interactions encouraged by open architecture and flexible workstations, as well as by a workplace that is much closer to home .
Some co-working spaces have gone a step further, integrating childcare, wellness programmes and even care for older dependants. One example is COWORCare , a European initiative linking co-working spaces with family support such as kindergartens and elderly-care services. This helps parents (especially mothers) participate more fully in the labour market.
Workers often need to update their skills to stay competitive. While informal learning happens in traditional offices too, co-working spaces can offer advantages by connecting professionals, entrepreneurs and freelancers across industries. This encourages knowledge-sharing between sectors.
Many also host training sessions, workshops and networking events, making it easier to develop skills than when working from home or in more homogeneous office settings.
Some of these spaces also create opportunities, both formal and informal, for young people to learn from more skilled and experienced workers . They can also help youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) into the workforce.
This all matters because the shift to greener and more digital economies - known as the "twin transition" - is creating both opportunities and risks. Many workers, especially in rural and older populations, could be left behind without access to training or digital infrastructure. Co-working spaces specifically for older people are ideally placed to address this .
Such spaces can act as "infrastructures of care" by helping workers feel like part of a community. Perhaps one of the most underrated benefits of co-working is how it can combat loneliness and boost morale for staff who might otherwise be working from home or face a long commute to their employer's office.
During the pandemic, many people realised how much they missed casual chats and social interaction. Co-working can bring that back - even for remote workers. In fact, co-working spaces can create the kind of "light-touch" community that encourages inclusion without being overwhelming.
Left-behind places
Co-working isn't just for buzzing city centres. Some of the most exciting developments are happening in small towns and rural areas.
Governments across Europe are supporting this shift. Ireland's Connected Hubs scheme has built a national network of remote-working hubs, aiming to revitalise rural communities and reduce the urban-rural divide.
These hubs can provide better internet than workers may have at home, and keep talented young people in the region. They can also spark local entrepreneurship , especially when paired with funding and mentoring. For example, the Youth Re-Working Rural project across Norway, Italy, Spain, Greece, Latvia and Slovenia supports youth and creative industries through co-working and digital training.
But these spaces aren't a silver bullet. Our research also shows they are most effective when public investment simultaneously targets specific areas.
This could be extending high-speed broadband to rural areas, improving transport connections and providing vocational and digital skills training. Policies that support back-to-work programmes - for example, mentoring for unemployed people, parents returning after career breaks, or those who have lost jobs reintegrating into the labour market - are crucial, alongside access to affordable housing.
Co-working spaces can be part of the solution to making work better - not just more convenient and efficient, but more human. They can improve wellbeing, encourage new skills, and bring life back into places that have been left behind after traditional local industries declined.
Rethinking the future of work in the face of multiple transitions - digital, green and demographic - means also thinking about the kind of spaces that make learning, connection and wellbeing possible.
Mariachiara Barzotto does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
