We’re living through some of the most significant changes in work that people have experienced in generations. And they’re changing how we collaborate and use our offices. Generative AI is advancing so quickly it’s hard to keep up. Sustainability goals have become critical and companies are responding rapidly, changing practices and creating shared ownership for achieving their goals. Employers are prioritizing mental health, feeling the urgency of its impact even more than physical health. Some of these changes started gradually and then accelerated. Others seemed to spring up all at once. It can feel like a whirlwind that leaves both leaders and employees breathless.

In the midst of so much change, leaders are realizing their workplaces need to do something fundamentally different than in the past. It’s hard to know what to do or when to do it. Employees want something better, but better can feel illusive and hard to define.

The answer may be found in community.

Why you need it.

We need community more than ever. “Communities enhance our daily lives — we spend so much of our time living on our screens, yet people report they are drowning in information and lacking in true human engagement,” says Steelcase WorkSpace Futures Research Principal Patricia Kammer. “In an era of proliferating technologies, where time and place are distributed, aspects of our humanity are being compromised. As a result, greater consideration for environments and experiences that enhance relationships, build trust and foster a deep sense of community will be an imperative for organizations.”

It’s difficult to shift our mindset about offices because we’ve basically done the same thing for over a century. Office design has mostly been about getting things done quickly and efficiently — set up to speed the flow of work. Even the open-office plans that emerged in the mid-20th century, and the rows of tightly packed benches that followed, missed the mark because they followed a “one-size-fits-all” approach that didn’t meet the complex needs of modern organizations or people who wanted to be treated like human beings. But when so much is changing, it’s human nature to cling to what we know and understand. Today, leading organizations are recognizing the need for a more human-centered approach. But how do we get there?

In Bowling Alone, author Robert Putnam told us how people are growing apart. His research found we have become increasingly disconnected: We don’t always live in the same community as our family, join clubs or know our neighbors as much anymore. Work is one of the few places where diverse groups of people come together to solve common problems, he noted.

What it is.

Today, Community-Based Design is a way of thinking about the workplace, grounded in lessons from urban planning that build great places to live. It’s also a planning methodology that engages people within the community to better support the way they need to work today and foster their wellbeing. Community-Based Design shapes behaviors; it brings people together through shared experiences, building connection, trust, a sense of purpose and commitment to one another. The result is a vibrant workplace that can easily respond and adapt to changing conditions. This helps build resilience so people can be more engaged and the organization can thrive.

“Community-Based Design is a more human-centered approach that emphasizes inclusion in the process and understanding how people really work,” says Meg Bennett, Steelcase global design principal. “Great cities are a source of inspiration for how to design workplaces that build a sense of community.”

Drawing from the diverse places within great cities, Community-Based Design translates those ideas into the workplace: Like a bustling city center that draws people together. Team neighborhoods where people live and work every day. Business districts where you can generate new ideas and solve problems. Universities and libraries where people learn. And parks or plazas where people go to relax and find respite. All of these places meet multiple needs: they complement each other, give people choices about where they can do their best work, and support all the different things they do throughout the day.

“People need to feel like they have control over where, when and how they connect with others,” says Libby Sander, professor of organizational behavior at Bond University in Queensland, Australia. Her research confirmed a link between lack of control over the work environment and physical stress markers like heart rate. Providing a diverse range of spaces like those found in thriving cities gives people more control, which reduces stress, notes Sander.

Community-Based Design was developed by Steelcase global researchers and designers beginning over two decades ago, drawing on the work of thought leaders like Jacobs and others who study the impact of place on human behavior. Originally conceived in the 2000s, it pushed back against the prevailing linear planning of cubicles and introduced the idea of diverse spaces arranged in patterns to spark more interaction. This approach and methodology evolved as work, technology and expectations changed. Now it addresses the rapid changes brought on by new patterns of behavior in the workplace: living on screen, the AI supercycle, building a culture to support increasing sustainability goals, and the urgent need to support mental health and wellbeing at work.

“Community-Based Design is more than a metaphor. It’s grounded in research,” explains Bennett. “When we identify patterns of behavior, we can design spaces to support how individuals and teams actually work. We can integrate points of connection, create choices for individual work, and use design to nudge people toward new behaviors that help them feel and work better.”

Bennett notes that this approach is different from ways of planning that focus on hierarchy, efficiency and standardization. “It goes beyond designing a workplace that is efficient and effective. It’s about designing for experiences that foster connection and engagement — how the space affects people. And it considers the unique needs of wellbeing — the mental, physical and emotional health of individuals and teams. That’s how you build community at work.”

How to do it.

Community-Based Design uses a three-phase approach to create resilient workplaces that adapt to change:

Understand

It begins with engaging members of the community – a diverse group of employees and leaders – to gain a deep understanding of how people actually work. Like the inclusive design principle, “design with, not for,” it involves people with a variety of lived experiences to create a work environment that accommodates a range of abilities, preferences and work experiences. Because organizations have different perspectives about how and when the office is used, it is also important to understand patterns of attendance and mobility.

Design

A core principle is to create diverse types of mixed-use spaces that support all the ways people need to work. It incorporates five different areas, or “districts,” inspired by elements within thriving cities. Understanding how often people are in the office, the type of work they do and how they prefer to work will influence choices within each of these areas, including the amount of assigned or shared workstations, the ratio of individual to collaboration spaces, technology requirements and more.

Measure

Regular measurement helps the workplace evolve and adapt to change. While measuring efficiency and effectiveness is important, it’s also helpful to check on the effectiveness of a workplace – how it makes people feel. When people feel connection and belonging it leads to a strong sense of community.

Read more about building community at work and solutions that bring the workplace to life in the Community-Based Design Special Edition of Work Better Magazine, brought to you by Steelcase. Contact us below to request a copy!