Rural coworking spaces in the COVID-19 era: A window of opportunity?

Abstract

The development of coworking spaces in rural areas has been the subject of great interest due to the expansion of digital technologies and the rise of new ways of working. They are regarded as drivers of economic and social development. Rural coworking spaces typically host diverse professionals from various sectors seeking to reduce their daily commute and reconcile work and quality of life. Most of these spaces are located in reconverted buildings and provide shared office facilities, business support, and some social interaction, counterbalancing the self-isolation experienced at home. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly challenged this model, but it has also raised new opportunities given the widespread adoption of remote working. The authors conducted 48 semi-structured interviews with managers of coworking spaces in France (30), Portugal (11), and Belgium (7). Our analysis reveals that rural coworking spaces proved highly resilient during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis. This resilience can mostly be explained by their hybrid nature and alliance with local authorities and communities.