The promise of coworking environments: a content analysis of the positioning of collaborative workspaces in Amsterdam

Abstract

The emergence of collaborative workspaces is a remarkable feature of contemporary cities. These spaces have appeared rapidly, catering for the locational needs of self-employed workers, start-ups and small-size companies. The objective of this paper is to provide an analysis of four categories of collaborative workspaces (accelerators, incubators, coworking spaces and FabLabs). For the case of Amsterdam, we conducted a website content analysis to assess how these spaces position and present themselves towards potential users. The empirical evidence shows that these spaces promise a variety of benefits, ranging from business development to access to social networks. This diversity illustrates the emergence of distinct work settings in an economic environment characterised by the need to work in a social environment that at the same time stimulates networking and collaboration.