Borrowing from the experience of cooperative artists' studios, business incubators, and the corner copy shop, the new co-workplace would be planned by the people who would really use it. It would be close to home with access to such amenities as meeting rooms, childcare, food services, and recreation facilities. It would combine the infrastructure of a good corporate office with the healthy convenience of walking to work. In The Co-workplace, Johnson draws lessons from spaces used collaboratively by software developers, artists, lawyers, and other professionals.
This book explains why office infrastructure can be important for productivity as well as the quality of work life. While the work process benefits from peace, quiet, and protection from interruption, creativity and innovation thrive amid opportunities for social interaction and synergy. The Co-workplace tackles one of the central policy and planning issues of our time and, as such, will be vital reading for those in urban planning, communications, work & leisure studies, and women’s studies.
