Thesis supervisor
: Antoine Picon
Coworking spaces are workspaces shared by individuals from several organizations within an open space.
This thesis analyzes the development of a coworking market in the Paris region in terms of how work is carried out in these spaces.
The role of physical proximity in the development of collaborative practices is observed in a Parisian coworking space. The role of physical proximity in the development of collaborative practices is observed in a Parisian coworking space. The study of the intersections between commercial and non-commercial exchanges shows that reciprocity effects help to strengthen ties between coworkers. These spaces can facilitate entrepreneurial projects through peer learning and access to shared resources within the space. However, this requires coworking managers to organize collaboration and make it visible. They are turning coworking into a new form of real estate service that combines physical space with an informal service for connecting workers. The value of coworking spaces is then co-produced by users. This thesis also situates the development of coworking in the Paris region in relation to a set of public policies. Local authorities helped structure the market before real estate developers scaled up the very concept of coworking. Coworking operators have become intermediaries, pooling the demand for office space from small businesses in metropolitan areas, and have come to occupy a place in the real estate value chain. Keywords: coworking, proximity, creative industries, collaborative economy, commercial real estate, Paris Thesis defense on Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Doctoral school
: VTT – City, Transportation, and Territories
Thesis registration
: 2013
The jury
Didier Paris, University Professor, University of Lille 1
Antoine Picon, Director of Research at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (Thesis Director)
Raphael Suire, University Professor, University of Nantes (Rapporteur)
Pierre Veltz, Professor Emeritus at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech
Elsa Vivant, Senior Lecturer, University of Paris-Est (Co-supervisor)
Sharon Zukin, Professor, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (Rapporteur)
David Cocheton, Director of Planning, SEM Plaine Commune Développement (Guest)