A Taxonomy of New Working Spaces

In this chapter, we present a definition of new working spaces (NeWSps). We then delve into the unique characteristics of different types of NeWSps. We propose a typology that classifies these spaces based on the primary needs of their users, distinguishing between two approaches: “do it together” and “do it yourself”. Drawing from our literature review, we introduce the concepts of coworking spaces, creative hubs, living labs, corporate labs, makerspaces, fab labs, open worklabs and hackerspaces. We argue that while these types of NeWSps share some similarities, there are important differences between them, and they may overlap in certain dimensions. To capture the wide range of new working spaces, we present two perspectives on makerspaces and creative hubs: lato sensu and stricto sensu.