Spatial Perspectives on Coworking Spaces and Related Practices in Beijing

Coworking space is a recent manifestation of the emerging sharing economy. This is largely due to two core driving forces: a new working style in the creative and knowledge economies, and the sharing economy, which promotes resource usage efficiency. This paper develops an analytical framework for the spatial perspectives on coworking spaces according to the core driving forces at both the urban and architectural levels, followed by empirical studies on practices related to coworking space in Beijing. The results indicate that at the city scale, coworking spaces tend to aggregate in clusters of large-scale creative and knowledge enterprises in mixed-use and high-density areas, and underutilized spaces become the key pillar. In the architectural dimension, coworking spaces tend to coexist with conventional office spaces or coliving apartments. Empirical studies in Beijing also show that coworking spaces have promoted the sustainable development of the city by renewing existing low-profit urban spaces and utilizing architectural spaces more efficiently. However, the unstable lease market of small-scale businesses, as well as marginal financial models, which pro fit from rental differences, challenge the survival of coworking spaces. In pursuit of capital, coworking spaces have tended to overexpand.