Different typologies of ‘co-working spaces’ and the contemporary dynamics of local economic development in Rome

ABSTRACT

Co-working spaces of different types are emerging as new economic and social intermediaries in the contemporary process of urban regeneration and urban economic growth. Despite their relevance, literature still fails to explore their role in the surrounding local economy. This paper intends to fill that gap, providing empirical evidence from the city of Rome and suggesting new policy perspectives. First, a taxonomy of the different spaces is provided, assessing their role in the related socio-economic ecosystem. Three main typologies have been identified: CWS1 acting as a ‘social incubator’ with an educational role and closer links to local authorities, CWS2 or ‘start-up incubator’ providing economic and technical support to the entrepreneurs-to-be, CWS3 or ‘real estate incubator’ which are mainly a commercial product. Their locational patterns are then discussed, highlighting the planning implication of their settlement in some in-between urban peripheral areas of Rome. Finally, suggestions for the creation of public/private partnerships or ‘social leases’ are proposed, foreseeing the integration of such spaces in the local offer of amenities. The current research paves the way for further discussion on the renewal of cities’ governance tools, processes of urban regeneration and policies tackling the new urban entrepreneurial class.

KEYWORDS:

• Co-working spaces
• cities
• entrepreneurs
• intermediaries
• entrepreneurial ecosystems
• sharing economy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Stefania Fiorentino http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3938-6425

Notes

1. For more information see: http://fab.city/

2. The territory of the city of Rome is divided into 15 boroughs. Each borough elects its local council or Municipio – numbered from I to XV – with a certain authority in local development matters.

3. The interviewee is here referring to the period corresponding to the mandate of the mayor Francesco Rutelli, exponent of the democratic left. He had elected culture as the key orientation of its program, devolving particular attention to the regeneration of the periphery of Rome: mostly corresponding to the South-eastern area of the city now interested by these nuclei of social entrepreneurship.

4. The OMI database is a service of Agenzia delle Entrate, which allows professionals to visualize the price bands corresponding to specific addresses or areas of the national territory through the GEOPOI portal. It is available at: http://www.agenziaentrate.gov.it/wps/content/nsilib/nsi/schede/fabbricatiterreni/omi/banche+dati/quotazioni+immobiliari (last accessed 18th May 2018).

5. Both INT4 and INT6 referred to Pasolini’s book ‘Accattone’ and the legendary but also controversial history and environment of such popular areas that were so-well depicted by the famous Italian author. These were highly deprived areas in the aftermath of the Second World War, appealing to all sorts of lascivious activities, which have gained throughout time - also thank to Pasolini’s narrative – some sort of epic appeal for lefty cultural activities and some associated nightlife amenities. However, the socio-economic dynamics that local authorities are called to address in the same areas are still considerably challenging (INT6; INT7; INT12).

6. The first examples being Millepiani a CWS in a former market hall in Garbatella or Officine Oz established in a squatted area belonging to the railway company in Portonaccio.

7. Coworkyard is present in more than eighteen cities around the world; it is a brand partnered by Amazon which offers office spaces on the same mechanism of Airbnb.

8. Big international giants such as WeWork and SecondHome are not yet present in Rome, showing that this is still a young market full of opportunities in Rome.

9. For this purpose, the spaces belonging to multinational sharing systems such as Coworkyard have been excluded from the map in figure 3. Other national products producing growth in Italy, like Regus, have instead been included.

10. Figure 3 shows a densification of CWS around the two underground axes with new hubs emerging around the newly inaugurated branch of the third line.

11. Tor Sapienza is a neighbourhood in the East of Rome, included in the territory of the Municipio IV. The project for the renewal of the Cerimant complex will include an incubator space and a connection with the Opera Theatre of Rome to bring artists and performers in the periphery but also to boost cultural entrepreneurialism and young employment rate in the area (MiBACT, 2017).