Urbant@IT – La localizzazione degli spazi di coworking in Italia (2018)

The 2018 working paper examined the location of 549 coworking spaces operating in Italy as of January 2018, comparing metropolitan concentrations with provision in peripheral and internal areas. Ilaria Mariotti and Mina Akhavan drew on a database compiled through coworking websites and direct contact with space managers. The paper reviewed earlier research on coworking, including studies of workplace design, social interaction, urban effects and location factors, before mapping the Italian distribution. It reported that north-western Italy contained the largest regional share, with particularly strong concentrations in Lombardy and Milan, while the north-east, centre, south and islands showed a more even distribution. Around half of the recorded spaces were located in Italy’s 14 metropolitan cities, led by Milan and followed by Rome. Only a small proportion operated in officially classified internal areas, where the south and islands held the largest share. The authors related these patterns to urbanisation economies, skilled labour markets, transport accessibility, public incentives and personal factors. They concluded by identifying further research questions about geographic differences in coworker performance, urban regeneration and the effects of entrepreneurship policies in southern and peripheral areas.

Key findings

• The study recorded 549 coworking spaces in Italy as of January 2018.
• Around 51% of the recorded coworking spaces were located in Italy’s 14 metropolitan cities.
• Internal areas contained 3.5% of the spaces, while north-western Italy accounted for 42% of the national total.

Published by Politecnico di Milano, 2018