Alexandre Blein: The rise of co-working in the commercial property market in the Île-de-France region: A user-driven service co-created by its users

Coworking spaces are workspaces shared by individuals from various
organisations within an open-plan environment. This thesis analyses the development of the coworking
market in the Île-de-France region in relation to the ways in which work is carried out in these spaces. The role of physical proximity in the development of collaborative practices is examined in a Parisian coworking space. The study of the intersections between commercial and non-commercial exchanges demonstrates that reciprocal effects help to strengthen the bonds between coworkers.

Coworking spaces can facilitate entrepreneurial projects through peer learning and access to shared resources within the space. However, this requires coworking managers to organise collaboration and make it visible. They transform coworking into a new form of property service that combines physical space with an informal service for connecting workers. The value of coworking spaces is therefore co-created by the users.

This thesis also examines the development of coworking in the Île-de-France region in the context of a range of public policies. Local authorities helped to shape the market before property developers brought about a shift in scale within the very concept of coworking. The coworking operator has become an intermediary enabling the pooling of office demand from small businesses in metropolitan areas, and has come to occupy a place within the property value chain.

Members of the jury

• Didier Paris, Professor, University of Lille 1
• Antoine Picon, Research Director at École des Ponts ParisTech (PhD supervisor)
• Raphael Suire, Professor, University of Nantes (Rapporteur)
• Pierre Veltz, Professor Emeritus at École des Ponts ParisTech
• Elsa Vivant, Senior Lecturer, Université Paris-Est (Joint thesis supervisor)
• Sharon Zukin, Professor, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (Rapporteur)
• David Cocheton, Director of Planning, SEM Plaine Commune Développement (Guest)