As the landscape of coworking evolves, so too does the need for solutions that cater to the diverse communities we have throughout Europe. We recently chatted to Chiara Tagliaro; an expert in workplace management.
Chiara Tagliaro is based in Milano, Italy as a full-time researcher and consultant in workplace management and corporate real estate. Formally trained as an architect, Chiara possesses a unique blend of passion and expertise around what makes different spaces work. Her knowledge of the details that create workspaces which are efficient and comfortable, combined with her strategic insight into commercial real estate, puts her in the perfect position to offer us a peak at what the future of the coworking industry in Europe may entail.
Formidable knowledge in Architecture, Economics and Real Estate
An intellectual at heart, Chiara works at Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s largest science-technology University, with her research largely revolving around spaces and their effects on people. Chiara is passionate about her work and enjoys addressing the topic of coworking broadly from a real estate point of view – she enjoys helping real estate managers work out how to best configure a space to meet their needs.
Having worked on a 4-year EU-funded research and networking project (COST Action CA18214 NeW.Sp. “The geography of new working spaces and the impact on the periphery”) Chiara is considered an industry expert. Coordinated by her colleague from the same University, Ilaria Mariotti (Professor of Urban and Regional Economics), the project focus was on how coworking spaces can become more evenly distributed outside of the main metropolitan cities around Europe.
Sustainable support for outlying areas
In Chiara’s opinion, an important area for exploration is the important role that the bigger corporate real estate players could potentially play in developing these kinds of secondary locations. “This particular sphere of coworking must keep being investigated and researched, and we have to keep exploring coworking spaces that will lie outside the norm of what we have become accustomed to in the mainstream spaces.”
As a believer that coworking spaces could play a critical role in revitalising rural economies, Chiara says we only need to evaluate the increasing cost of living and the ongoing housing crisis to realise that we need to build up economic hubs in outlying regions if we hope to create some more affordable options for the citizens of Europe.
Chiara says in Italy they have many areas called ‘inner areas’ which are isolated from the major urban centres (low-population villages in rural and mountainous areas) and she has noted that when there is an increase of visitors to these areas for tourism, people tend to exploit the space without understanding much about the local resources and how best to make use of the natural environment.
With the uptake of ‘smart working’ gaining more recognition than ever before, there lie opportunities for the smaller villages to become more attractive and feasible working and living locations for longer-term than simply a short vacation.
Chiara says that, in line with their findings from the NeW.Sp. project, coworking can make a tangible difference to the economic development of such areas because it offers coworking communities an inlet into local social environments and helps to build a broader sense of belonging.
Establishing economic viability
One of the keys to establishing working hubs in rural areas is ensuring that these areas become visible and that the facilities are in keeping with the standards available in metropolitan areas. Many of the more isolated areas are not ready to become popular remote working destinations due to a lack of infrastructure and basic amenities. Chiara believes there must be financial resources from other businesses already operating in urban areas to attract and retain a community in more rural and peripheral locations.
From an investment point of view, Chiara says there are primarily two ways coworking spaces wanting to expand into outlying areas can attract investment:
- Identifying outlying areas as possible training hubs or centres of excellence. A good example is some of the college towns in the United States where entire communities have been built around them being centres of intellectual excellence. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that we don’t need to be in a certain location to do quality work.
- Taking a broader look at local governments’ sustainability goals and working towards being ‘solution-makers’. We need to pair up with potential investors who are interested in helping to find the most sustainable solutions for the environment in the long term. The Paris Agreement has very clear-cut goals for the global economy and these are becoming areas of huge importance for most large businesses.
The possibility of low rent options to spur growth
An unavoidable complication is the legalities that surround these spaces’ expansion, particularly when it potentially involves municipal or government-owned land/buildings. Whilst it may sound lofty to dream of allowing inhabitants who wish to ‘re-activate’ areas a low or free rent option in exchange for their contributions, there are undeniably ways in which to repurpose empty spaces for better use.
The issue comes down to who will manage the space, and ensure the security of its users and the quality of its amenities. It’s often said that the failure to plan is a plan to fail, and in terms of coworking, it is clear that strategic guidance and data-led opinions need to lead its expansion into rural areas.
An interesting example in Italy is the repurposing of post offices into coworking spaces or internet hot spots for tourists, especially those that are underutilised or completely abandoned in isolated villages and peripheral areas. There isn’t certainty of what the structure will be as yet, but the idea seems promising. This would be a best practice of a public-private initiative that has the potential to repurpose existing spaces, increase employment, and boost local economies by creating more spaces where mobile and flexible workers can be hosted and unite with other coworkers while mingling with local communities.