Types of co-working spaces in Istanbul

Abstract

The concept of co-working has gradually grown in importance and new types of workplaces have increased in Istanbul in step with global trends. As the most populated city in Turkey, Istanbul hosts the largest number of co-working spaces (CWSs) in the country. This paper describes the types of CWSs in Istanbul. In this context, the paper is organized around two main topics: the physical structure and the non-physical structure of CWSs. The physical structure of CWSs refers to the type of building, layout, and architectural features, as well as the facility management services and ancillary spaces that CWSs provide. The non-physical structure of CWSs covers the financial structure, community structure, organization and management structure, decision-making structure, partnership structure, and communication structure of CWSs. In this framework, 20 CWSs in Istanbul (87 locations in total, including multiple branches in the city) were empirically studied through face-to-face interviews, observations, websites, and advertisements analysis. The main result of the analysis reveals that CWSs have different characteristics and cannot be encompassed in one type for the case of Istanbul. In this context, four different co-working types were identified in Istanbul. These are chain CWSs, lifestyle CWSs, community-oriented CWSs, and service-oriented CWSs. The results of the study contribute to the literature for a better understanding of CWSs in an urban context. They also help to understand the changing working environment in Istanbul and Turkey, which has been largely overlooked by the literature to date.