Coexisting or Coworking? The Reconfigured Office Spaces in Two Emerging Global Cities

Amid the transformation of the global workforce, with increased levels of self-employment and remote working, coworking has emerged in cities worldwide. Coworking spaces are more than just physical work environments with ubiquitous office and digital infrastructure; they also provide social infrastructure. These spaces facilitate the subconscious exchange of information and knowledge among coworkers, leading to collaboration and innovation. While this phenomenon has been well-documented in Western- centered empirical studies, it remains understudied in emerging economies. This paper aims to investigate the spatial patterns of coworking sites and examine the extent to which workers perceive the coworking community. We employ both qualitative and quantitative methods, utilizing data collected from office leasing platforms, a questionnaire survey, and interviews conducted in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Our findings indicate that coworking sites often emerge in existing business centers, despite not necessarily offering significant rent advantages. Additionally, we discover that while coworkers appreciate the flexibility and convenience of shared facilities, they maintain a skeptical view of the highly claimed coworking community. © 2023 Urban Affairs Association.