Redefining workspaces? Spatial implications of remote working and the potential for local coworking

Nick Clifton, Darja Reuschke and Jed Long

Chapter 18 in Handbook of Labour Mobility, 2026, pp 304-323 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The COVID-19 crisis precipitated the largest ever forced experiment in remote working. While predictions of the ‘death of the office’ were premature, a permanent shift towards increased remote working is likely. Coworking (shared flexible working spaces) grew exponentially before the pandemic. The crisis led to contraction, but demand is increasing as remote working levels remain higher. We employ occupational data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) to calculate locality-based work from home scores within Wales, UK. Urban residents hold jobs most suited to remote work, followed by rural areas; former industrial regions least. Remote workers are mostly employees in urban areas, but in rural areas, self-employed individuals dominate remote working. Our evidence improves understanding of the spatial implications of remote working and the potential for local coworking in community working hubs. This in turn has implications for infrastructure and future patterns of work, mobility and migration.

Keywords: Remote Working; Coworking; Urban; Rural Divide; Occupational Geography; Workplace Infrastructure; Migration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035331680
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