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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees make up 99% of London businesses and account for 41% of employment. They support economic development and are often linked with local communities. SME workspaces – including flexible workspace, accelerators, and incubators – also support regeneration by activating unused spaces and enlivening neighbourhoods,, offsetting budget cuts with business rates, offering training to local people, and bringing cultural or leisure activity. They’re a natural fit for mixed-use development in well-connected areas throughout London.
Local authorities should do all they can to support SME workspaces, which face spiralling rents and walloping rates hikes across much of the capital – not to mention competition for land due to pressure for housing. That being said, businesses and workspace providers are often reluctant to engage with a public sector they see as risk-averse, slow to act and bureaucratic.
Workspace that Works used seminars, field trips, interviews, workshops, and networking events to showcase best practice in linking workspace provision to regeneration and highlights issues local authorities and partners on mixed-use schemes should be aware of when planning workspace projects.
The issues around workspace are evolving and its importance for economic and social impact at local and regional scales is perhaps greater today than ever before. Future of London have returned to this project every year by bringing urban stakeholdes together to generate new ideas and share practical solutions. Read about our latest event, Workspace for All here.
Contact: Amanda Robinson
The final report for this project offers case studies on different types of workspaces in London, best practice and recommendations for local authorities securing workspace, and recommendations for the GLA, workspace providers, and developers. Download the report.
Providing community services, space and connections is getting tougher. Historically the domain of churches and temples and technically a council responsibility, this key element of local support relies on vulnerable funding – and lots of good will. Local trusts have been delivering that support for decades, and it may be time for them to play a bigger role.
This is a guest post from Harry Knibb, Principal Consultant for Sustainable Places, WSP, as part of Future of London’s Workspace for All event. Our climate is changing, resources are finite,…
Co-working spaces, accelerators, incubators, makerspaces and artist studios are essential to London’s start-up and creative communities. Demand for shared and affordable workspace is high and the industry is enjoying fast…
Our 2017 Workspace Matching event brought together cross-sector practitioners to find out about opportunities for workspace-related regeneration.
This popular event introduces top workspace operators to landlords wanting to learn, and shares the latest in workspace policies.
On 21 February, Future of London launched our Workspace that Works report, looking at the links between SME workspace provision and regeneration, and what role local authorities can play.
This event joined LAs, landlords and operators to learn from each other and forge new partnerships for delivering workspace.
On 24 November, we visited Park Royal to learn about its existing workspace offer and how the OPDC plans to promote workspace provision throughout its extensive regeneration project.
Employment-led regeneration in Wood Green is a key priority for LB Haringey. On 15 November, we visited Wood Green to learn how this regeneration will progress throughout the town centre.
Our 9 November Workspace Research Forum with London Councils brought together experts to discuss the latest on workspace and regeneration in London, read summaries and view the presentations here.
On 27 September, we visited Hackney Wick and Fish Island to find out about how SME workspace provision is being protected through planning and regeneration.
Nearly 25% of City of London SMEs use flexible workspace. Our field trip investigated how space – and relationships – have evolved in the City, and visited some of these innovative offers.
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