The characteristics to consider in municipal shared spaces

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is through collaboration with practitioners to identify key characteristics of municipal shared spaces and based on these developing a guide for establishing a shared space in a municipal real-estate portfolio.Design/methodology/approach This paper builds on existing theory on the subject of shared space as well as the practical experience of professionals within the fields of property management, space management and facilities management. The guide presented is the result of data collected through case studies, interviews, surveys and literature reviews. This knowledge is combined with data collected through a workshop with practitioners from municipalities and the private sector, in order to provide a final guide that is directly applicable as a tool for working with shared space as a part of a property management strategy. FindingsThe result presented is a guide to establishing a shared space in a municipal real-estate portfolio, created in collaboration between researchers and practitioners. It provides an introduction to the topic and outlines a number of tasks that must be completed in different parts of a project, thereby providing a tool which practitioners can use to realise shared space as a strategy in the context of public real-estate management. Originality/valueThe guide presented is a first in connecting theory with practical application and through collaboration between researchers and practitioners creating a tool to be used when working with shared space in a municipal realestate portfolio.

Sharing indoor space: stakeholders’ perspectives and energy metrics

“…These notions have been previously studied in the architectural literature (Estaji 2017), and the present study confirms their relevance in the case of space-sharing initiatives. Other notions were mentioned in the literature but did not come up in the present study, such as design for social interaction (Torres Antonini 2001;Williams 2005a), or distinguishing between sharing ' core' and 'support' spaces (Brinkø & Nielsen 2017).…”

“…Previous literature on shared spaces has highlighted the importance of a holistic perspective considering the interplay between physical and social elements (Balakrishnan, Muthaly, & Leenders 2016;Brinkø & Nielsen 2017, 2018Kim 2006). The present results support this holistic view and point to the importance of considering both tangible properties of shared spaces (e.g.…”

“…Kim (2006) studied the design of common houses and concluded that there is no one-size-fits-all optimal design, and that the design of a common house must consider the group dynamics of the community. Brinkø & Nielsen (2017) studied the sharing of non-residential facilities and highlighted the distinction between sharing ' core' spaces versus 'support' spaces, as well as the importance of access, security and logistics.…”

“…A third perspective is that of facility managers and policy-makers. Brinkø & Nielsen (2017) developed a typology of shared facilities and a guide for municipalities to implement sharing in their premises. Höjer & Mjörnell (2018) and Huovila, Tuominen & Airaksinen (2017) also highlight the importance of using the right performance metrics for decision support, in particular for energy performance.…”

Measures and Steps for More Efficient Use of Buildings

“…This has been studied by Brinkö et al [18], who suggest a typology that classifies the options for sharing space and facilities within buildings for optimized use of existing buildings and minimizing the need for new ones. This was based on both literature (a large number of case studies) and interviews with stakeholders and resulted in the types of sharing being sorted into four groups.…”