Transforming work environments: Unveiling the dynamics and impacts of coworking spaces Working beyond boundaries: Redefining work modes and spaces across geographies dossier editorial

This thematic dossier presented in issue 46 of CIDADES, Comunidades e Territórios is the outcome of extensive research focusing on the global emergence and evolution of new working spaces driven by technological advancements and transformations in the world of work, such as the rise of nonstandard employment forms and increased flexibility in work arrangements. These spaces, mainly under the large umbrella of the ‘coworking’ designation, have arisen mostly as a response to the need for accommodating independent workers, providing them with a conducive environment for work, collaboration, and social interaction, aiming to alleviate issues like work-life balance and social isolation (Merkel, 2015). This workforce, particularly those in knowledge-based professions, exhibits a preference for mobile, multilocal, remote, flexible, distributed, and virtual modes of work (Kojo & Nenonen, 2016). Empowered by technology, these individuals are able to choose when and where they work, enabling a greater degree of flexibility and autonomy. However, more studies are needed on topics such as wellbeing, quality of life, and working conditions of non-standard employment arrangements. Over the past decade, the number of coworking spaces has experienced significant growth, attracting an increasingly heterogeneous set of users, including remote workers, companies, and operators. As these spaces continue to evolve, they have become more hybrid in nature, combining a variety of activities, sector, functions and/or spatial configurations (Tomaz & Tabrizi, forthcoming; Waters-Lynch et al., 2016).