Almost half of all jobs in North America and Europe could today be performed away from a traditional office. Millions of office workers are already working from home, and while some appreciate the flexibility of home-based telework, others find that they are bound to their employers by an "electronic leash." This book explores the "co-workplace" – a new type of neighbourhood-based facility offering the benefits of remote work while maintaining boundaries between workplace and home. Borrowing from the experience of cooperative artists' studios, business incubators, and the corner copy shop, Laura Johnson explains why office infrastructure can be important for productivity as well as the quality of work life.
Laura C. Johnson teaches at the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo and is a consultant on issues of social policy.