The Role Of Community In Future Office Spaces

The coworking resurrection is happening. Just not in Manhattan. Here's where smart operators are actually winning: The coworking comeback isn't happening where you think. While WeWork collapsed and Industrious chases Fortune 1000 clients, three operators cracked the real code: Go where people live. I studied Patch (UK), Work Heights (Brooklyn), and Switchyards (Southeast US). Here's what they figured out: The problem with old coworking: • Located in expensive downtowns • Targeted business traveler's   • Fought for prime real estate • Required long commutes The new model works because: • 9-minute average commute (vs 26 minutes for WeWork) • Neighborhood locations, not business districts • Local community integration • Way cheaper real estate Three approaches winning: Switchyards: Volume play • $100/month for 28 locations • 200 more clubs planned in 5 years • 92% of members are new to coworking • Residential neighborhoods only Work Heights: Premium local • $290-320/month for 7 Brooklyn spots • 24/7 access to all locations • Outdoor workspaces (post-pandemic gold) • Hyper-neighborhood focus Patch: Community anchors • Repurposes town landmarks (old breweries, libraries) • Integrates with local high streets • Public amenities + coworking • Brings life back to town centers What they all get: Humans need other humans. Coffee shops never replaced offices. But neighborhood work clubs might. The real estate insight: • Class B owners will take less rent • Landlords do management deals now • No huge security deposits needed • Multiple small locations beat one big hub Why this works in 2025: • Remote work is permanent • People want community, not commutes   • Technology makes small spaces viable • Cheap money for proven models The bigger picture: Coworking 1.0 tried to replace corporate offices. Coworking 2.0 replaces isolation. WeWork targeted business travelers. These operators target neighbors. The future isn't downtown towers. It's the club around the corner. Who's building the next wave? The operators who understand: proximity beats prestige. 9-minute commutes beat 26-minute ones. $100/month beats $500/month. Community beats convenience. The coworking resurrection is real. Just not where the VCs are looking.

"We stopped talking about return to office and started talking about reattaching." — Ryan Anderson, MillerKnoll Stress and burnout continue to grow and building engagement at work has taken a distant back seat to the continued drive for efficiency. Recent Upwork research reveals a troubling trend around AI: heavy users are becoming emotionally disconnected from their teams -- they actually trust AI more than their colleagues. What if, instead, we took some of that time back and invested in relationships? As Ryan put it "looking at AI as a way of reinvesting time savings in more relational human activities." The solution isn't just getting bodies in seats. It's designing spaces that strengthen human relationships. His team at MillerKnoll has identified what works in "relationship-based design": 🏢 Cafes with intention: Different table heights and seating arrangements that give people "permission to go meet someone new"—from quick corridor intercepts to intimate booth conversations. 📺 Meeting spaces for equity: Moving away from "Death Star-like" conference rooms to inclusive spaces where everyone has clear sight lines, whether remote or in-person. 🚪 Private offices reimagined: Designs that invite people in rather than create power distance—even executive offices can build relationships if you're intentional. Anderson's insight: successful workplace design is "50% space, 50% engagement." If people understand that a space is designed to help them connect and learn from each other, they'll actually use it that way. 👉 Read on for more in-depth #workplace design research: https://lnkd.in/d6fDvugg How are you designing your workplace to strengthen relationships, not just support tasks?

Community isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. While virtual platforms have expanded our ability to connect, nothing can truly replace the depth of in-person human interaction. As organizations navigate the return to offices, one thing is clear: simply bringing people back together physically won’t automatically create community. Real connection—whether online or in-person—requires desire and, as International Bestselling Author of The Art of Community, Charles Vogl shares, "Adequate Commitment." It means designing spaces, conversations, and experiences that foster trust and belonging. For centuries, in-person interactions were the foundation of our communities. Virtual spaces only became mainstream recently, largely out of necessity. But regardless of the medium, strong communities don’t just happen—they are built with intention. So, leaders: How are you intentionally fostering community in your organization? Please share some thoughts below. (More about Charles: Charles is a trusted keynote speaker and consultant to organizations focused on building stronger workplace communities. He works with Google in several capacities, including as a trusted thought leader for the Google School for Leaders, which develops over 20,000 Google managers.) Brian Palmer, CMM Julie Homsey #Leadership #CommunityBuilding #WorkplaceCulture #IntentionalConnection