CONNECTING THE DOTS- OPTIMUM UTILIZATION OF SPACES

Take a random walk around the city on any weekday and you will observe that there are numerous??spaces that are being used partially. From half – empty studios to office blocks that cater to a very limited number of individuals and a lot of such other spaces start racking up in parts of your brain when you start thinking about these spaces. It is fundamental to observe that it is not just space that is getting wasted but the opportunity to utilize the space in a more productive way that is getting wasted.

Space utilization is primarily concerned with measuring the scalability of how the allowable space is being used productively. Buildings occupy only a part of the land in the cities. The significance of public spaces in cities is declining. Public spaces have always been disregarded but now days we are witnessing bold innovation and experimentation in the domain of public spaces in cities. New generation or Gen-X and Gen-Z of the city have now begun to explore and understand??that unconventional places are way better and cooler to hangout when compared to the regular hangout spots or “ADDAS” that are present. Hanging out under infrastructure, above infrastructure, along sea lines, there's like a pull toward these spaces that are outside our common perception of public space. A lot of cities are also re-using and re-imagining previously underused spaces in order to uplift communities and transform lives. The society as a whole is also becoming more welcoming towards innovative and creative projects like these. The fact that public spaces can be powerful places at the intersection between sustainability knowledge and community action is very well established by people at large.

We are heading towards a logical progression. The growing trend is a result of early disruptors like Airbnb and Uber. Trendsetters are required to lead the way. The property industry is not known for its speed of innovation, but now the realization of the various opportunities is kicking in. Airbnb provided an opportunity to the owners of various commercial and residential spaces to make money from their otherwise empty and underutilized spaces. It enabled living spaces in private homes to be used as fitness studios, office space for therapists or masseuses, a venue for workshops or simply a quiet place to get some work done. In India, Awfis is offering up vacant office space in its big cities to start-ups and larger companies in need of affordable ‘plug n play’ offices or meeting rooms with the necessary infrastructure. And there’s a growing market for retailers.

Buildings are usually ignored as a potential public space despite their prevalence in urban life. As a result, investments in buildings often lag, leaving significant potential untapped for improving productivity, health, and comfort. It’s time for leaders from both the public and private sectors to pay attention to buildings as a way of improving community spaces and multidimensional spaces in cities.

The traditional way of running a business in a predetermined space is undergoing a tremendous change and reforms in this sector are all set to boom. The various services and opportunities that are offered by community and public spaces are almost trending. Accelerating these emerging trends and incentivizing change at a greater level will not only benefit building owners and users, but communities as a whole. It’s time for public and private sector leaders to recognize these benefits and act and kick-start their journey towards optimizing the utilization of spaces!