Collective and Corporate Coworkings vs. COVID-19 Pandemic: winners and losers in post-crisis city space. Evidence from Warsaw

Keywords: coworkings, COVID-19, Warsaw, city space
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 16

Abstract

The traditional model of the economy and the city has historically been based on work provided in a specific location and the rigidity and disconnectedness of home-work relationships. Only information and communication technologies have led to a fundamental change in the work environment, including the possibility of decoupling the provision of work from a specific location. Despite the increase in flexibility of workplace choices, the need for social interaction appears to be essential for the generation of new ideas, innovation, and the satisfaction of workers' social needs. This provides the basis for the emergence of a new model of workspace organization in the form of coworking, where workspace is shared on a flexible basis.

This phenomenon is particularly visible in metropolises that are key centers of the global information economy. In Warsaw, there were about 130 such coworking spaces in 2019. The ways in which co-working spaces operated were based on diversified models which include the original grassroots initiatives based on common values and community spirit – so-called collective co-working, or later top-down initiatives of the generic or yupster type – so-called corporate co-working. However, the COVID pandemic has made significant changes to this picture.

The aim of the article is to assess the impact of the emergence of coworking spaces and the evolution of their model on the transformation of metropolitan spaces occurring in pandemic and post-pandemic realities. Issues of inclusivity and access for people with disabilities are included in the analysis.