TAF CSI Workspace Hub Paper

WORKSPACE HUBS:
FINAL FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT

Prepared by:
Kevin Hurley & Tonya Surman
APRIL 2014
made possible by generous support from:

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This!report!was!completed!in!Fall!2013,!by!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation,!with!support!from!the!
Toronto!Atmospheric!Fund,!Enterprising!NonDProfits!Toronto!and!Metrolinx.!!
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The!materials!included!reflect!the!fieldwork!and!research!carried!out!by!!Tonya!Surman!(CEO,!Centre!
for!Social!Innovation)!and!Kevin!Hurley!(Project!Manager,!Centre!for!Social!Innovation)!between!
January!2012!and!July!2013.!!
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Report!author:!Kevin!Hurley!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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In!addition!to!the!generous!support!from!our!study!funders,!we!would!like!to!recognize!the!following!
for!their!contributions!to!this!study:!
!
Frank!Maidens!&!Vivian!Hui,!studio!function!inc.!
Patrick!Spencer!&!Gordon!Feller,!Cisco!Systems!Inc.!(Internet!Business!Solutions!Group)!
Ryan!McAskile,!DTZ!Barnicke!Ltd.!
Christopher!Chen!
Karine!Jaoiuch,!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!
As!well!as!the!many!people!who!provided!valuable!access,!insight,!feedback!and!advice.!
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CONTACT
!
Visit!www.socialinnovation.org!for!more!information.!
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Centre!for!Social!Innovation!
720!Bathurst!Street!
Toronto,!ON!!M5S!2R5!
Canada!
(416)!979D3939!
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info@socialinnovation.org!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreward()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(i!
1.! Introduction:(Background(&(Context())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(1!
1.1.! Feasibility!Study!Objective!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 1!
1.2.! Guiding!Principles!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 2!
1.3.! The!Increasing!Costs!of!Congestion!as!a!Tipping!Point!to!Mass!Telecommuting!DDDDDDD! 2!
1.4.! Project!Focus:!PlaceDmaking!in!Suburban!Centres!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 3!
1.5.! Target!Audiences!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 3!
1.6.! Social!&!Environmental!Impact!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 4!
1.7.! Associated!Trends! DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 4!
1.7.1.! The'Future'of'Work'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'4!
1.7.2.! Social'Entrepreneurship'&'Innovation'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'5!
1.7.3.! Growth'of'Coworking'0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'5!
1.8.! Comparable!Examples! DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 6!
1.9.! Background:!About!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 6!
1.9.1.! Background:'Knowledge'and'Experience'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'7!
2.! Market(Research(Findings())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(9!
2.1.! Important!Regional!Factors!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 9!
2.2.! Global!Coworking!Trends!!(contributed!by!Cisco’s!IBSG)!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!10!
2.3.! GTHA!Commuter!Profiles!!(from!Smart!Commute/Metrolinx!&!Pembina!Institute)!DD!11!
2.4.! Corporate!Readiness!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!13!
2.5.! Scan!of!Competitive!Alternatives!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!15!
Section!Summary!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!17!
3.! Business(Model(Analysis())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(18!
3.1.! Customer!Segments!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!18!
3.1.1.! Mobile'&'Remote'Workers:'“Various'Shapes'and'Sizes”'00000000000000000000000000000000000'18!
3.1.2.! Global'Segment'Trends'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'19!
3.2.! Value!Proposition!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!20!
3.3.! Channels!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!20!
3.4.! Customer!Relationship!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!20!
3.5.! Revenue!Streams!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!21!
3.6.! Key!Resources!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!21!
3.7.! Key!Activities!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!21!
3.7.1.! Technological'Components'0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'22!
3.7.2.! Enabling'Role'of'Technology'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'22!
3.8.! Key!Partners! DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!22!
3.9.! Cost!Structure!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!22!
4.! Communications(and(Brand(Strategy())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(24!
4.1.!Communications!Strategy!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!24!
4.1.1.! Messages'for'the'Partner'Audience'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'24!
4.1.2.! Messages'for'the'Macro'Audience'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'25!
4.1.3.! Messages'for'the'Micro'Audience'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'26!
4.2.!Branding!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!26!
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5.(Location(Profiles()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(28!
5.1.!Regional!Overview!&!Policy!Framework!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!28!
5.1.1.! Places'to'Grow'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'28!
5.1.2.! The'Big'Move'&'“Mobility'Hubs”'0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'30!
5.2.!Shortlisting:!Establishing'Shortlist'of'Key'GTHA'Workspace'Hub'Sites!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!31!
5.3.!Individual!Hub!Location!Analysis!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!32!
5.3.5.! Downtown'Hamilton'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'32!
5.3.5.! Midtown'Oakville'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'35!
5.3.5.! Downtown'Burlington'0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'37!
5.3.4! Downtown'Brampton'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'39!
5.3.5.! Mississauga'City'Centre'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'41!
5.3.6.! Vaughan'Metropolitan'Centre'0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'43!
5.3.7.! Richmond'Hill'/'Langstaff'Gateway'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'45!
5.3.8.! Markham'Centre'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'47!
5.3.9.! Downtown'Pickering'000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'49!
5.3.10.! Toronto:'Downtown'CBD'00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'51!
6.! Financial(Summary())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(54!
6.1.! Model!Overview!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!54!
6.2.! Site!and!Administration!Approach!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!54!
6.3.! Modeling!by!Size:!5,!15!and!30,000!square!feet!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!55!
6.4.! Model!Inputs:!Revenue!Assumptions!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!55!
6.5.! Model!Inputs:!Expense!Assumptions!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!56!
6.6.! Model!Inputs:!Grants!&!Sponsorships!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!58!
6.7.! Phasing!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!58!
6.8.! Financial!Outlook:!Years!1D10!(not!adjusted!for!inflation)!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!59!
6.9.! Financial!Outlook:!Years!11D20!(not!adjusted!for!inflation)!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!60!
7.! Implementation:(Options(Analysis()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(62!
7.1.! Workspace!Hubs!Independent!Vision!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!62!
7.2.! Secure!Major!Corporate!Partnership!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!62!
7.3.! Real!Estate!Owner/Developer!Partnership!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!63!
7.4.! Government!Sponsorship!/!Government!Ownership!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!63!
7.5.! Cultivate!a!Regional!Network!Among!LocallyDOwned!Coworking!Centres!DDDDDDDDDDDDDD!64!
8.! Conclusions(&(Recommendations())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(66!
Lessons!Learned! DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!66!
Bottom!Line!&!Recommend!Next!Steps!DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!66!
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! ! !
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FOREWARD
!
The!purpose!of!this!report!is!to!summarize!the!investigative!work!that!has!been!carried!out!around!
the!concept!of!creating!a!network!of!locallyDfocused!sharedDwork!centres!within!the!developing!
Mobility!Hub!network!of!the!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area.!
!
We!believe!that!the!relationship!between!mobility!and!work!is!changing!rapidly,!and!with!our!region!
struggling!with!problems!linked!to!traffic!congestion,!integrating!sharedDwork!centres!(“Workspace!
Hubs”)!into!the!developing!mixedDused!density!around!our!region’s!transportation!nodes!holds!
valuable!potential!for!improving!workDlife!balance!and!strengthening!our!regional!economy.!
!
The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!(CSI)!is!a!pioneer!in!the!creation!of!shared!workspaces.!Our!work!is!
focused!on!creating!these!spaces!and!communities!with!a!focus!on!social!impact.!We!see!the!potential!
to!transform!neighbourhoods,!communities,!and!transportation!patterns!by!changing!how!work!
happens.!This!said,!this!report!is!not!an!expansion!plan!for!CSI,!but!rather!an!exploration!into!
creating!something!entirely!new:!a!conceptual!roadmap!for!creating!a!network!of!meaningful!places,!
focused!on!faceDtoDface!networks,!collaboration,!creativity,!community,!and!work.!
!
This!feasibility!study!aimed!to!objectively!and!rationally!uncover!the!strengths!and!weaknesses!of!a!
proposed!forDprofit!venture,!opportunities!and!threats!as!presented!by!the!environment,!the!
resources!required!to!carry!it!through,!and!ultimately!the!prospects!for!success.!
!
Having!completed!an!inDdepth!analysis,!we!have!come!to!the!conclusion!that,!pursuing!the!
Workspace!Hubs!Project,!with!the!original!intentions!we!set!out!with!would!be!a!poor!decision.!
Simply!put,!we!fear!that!the!projected!capital!costs!are!too!high!and!the!implementation!timeline!is!
too!lengthy,!exposing!the!initiative!to!unreasonable!risk!to!investors.!!!
!
Furthermore,!during!the!period!of!time!of!this!research,!many!new!coworking!initiatives!have!
opened,!or!are!in!the!process!of!opening,!around!the!GTHA.!!Networks!among!the!coworking!spaces!
are!also!developing;!strengthening!the!individual!spaces!as!well!as!increasing!the!value!proposition!
to!their!members.!
!
Where!we!feel!we!can!make!an!impact!however,!is!in!taking!this!decade!of!experience!in!creating!
successful!communities!around!shared!workspaces!to!support!markets!outside!of!Toronto,!where!
local!groups!and!organizations!are!hatching!plans!for!locallyDfocused!shared!work!spaces!themselves.!
!
While!we!have!come!to!the!conclusion!that!the!originally!proposed!concept!is!too!costly,!we!still!feel!
there!is!sound!logic!in!linking!new!shared!work!spaces!to!the!Mobility!Hub!network,!and!believe!in!
the!transformational!impact!that!this!concept!could!have!at!the!local!and!regional!economic!
development!level.!We!feel!that!based!on!the!details!written!above,!our!best!efforts!should!be!focused!
on!assisting!independent!regional!agencies!to!create!their!own!locallyDfocused!spaces.!
!
We!believe!that!institutional!partners!that!share!this!vision!could!also!play!a!role!in!incentivizing!
local!shared!spaces!to!be!woven!into!the!fabric!of!the!Mobility!Hub!Network.!It!is!clear!that!the!
growing!coworking!movement!could!play!a!vital!role!in!fulfilling!this!vision.!Certainly!the!Centre!for!
Social!Innovation!would!be!interested!in!pursuing!strategies!to!bring!a!more!intentional!process!to!
this!network!development.!We!welcome!a!conversation!with!stakeholders!who!share!our!vision.!
!
!
Tonya!Surman!CEO!of!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!
! ! !
Workspace!Hubs:!Final!Feasibility!Study!Report! ! ! !
i! ! !
!
1. INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

!
“For'many'knowledge'workers,'working'virtually'is'already'a'fact,'whether'they'happen'to'be'
working'from'home,'in'the'office,'or'elsewhere.'We'are'all'dealing'with'networks'of'information'
technology'and'data'streams'that'connect'us'both'within'office'buildings'and'across'time'zones.'
These'capabilities'certainly'call'into'question'the'logic'of'being'there'in'an'office'full0time.'
'
“Yet'real'places'keep'coming'back'to'haunt'us,'almost'as'if'to'remind'us'that'they'are'still'where'it'
really'happens.'Places'where'people'can'work'together'face0to0face'are'still'fundamental'to'the'
most'critical'aspects'of'work'performance'and'creativity.'Technology'and'networks'have'not'at'all'
replaced'the'value'of'getting'together'in'physical'locations'for'the'sparks'of'creativity'that'doing'
so'creates.''
'
“Technology'has'not'replaced'place.'Rather'it'is'augmenting'the'places'where'the'most'important'
things'happen.'That'is'why'cities,'as'the'ultimate'networks'of'networks,'have'reasserted'themselves'
as'the'central'drivers'of'creativity'in'our'economy.''
'
“Technology'is'helping'us'imagine'a'future'of'urban'living'and'working'as'a'blended'experience.'
Technology'is'enabling'us'to're0evaluate'and'reimagine'how'we'work'and'live'across'all'kinds'of'
spaces.'It'is'enabling'us'to'repurpose'the'under0occupied'single0use'office'building'as'a'hub'of'
social'connectivity'and'interaction.''
'
“Let’s'acknowledge'that'technology'is'enabling'us'to'reimagine'our'living'and'working'lives'in'a'
much'broader,'more'sustainable,'and'more'valuable'sense.'The'way'we'live'and'work'is'already'a'
creative,'blended,'hybrid'240hour'mash0up.'Now'our'buildings'and'cities'should'be'redesigned'to'
follow'suit.”'
!
! D!Andrew!Laing,!Global!Practice!Leader!for!AECOM!in!Forbes'Magazine,!March!8,!2013!
!
1.1. Feasibility Study Objective

!
The!purpose!of!this!report!is!to!summarize!the!investigative!work!that!has!been!carried!out!
around!the!concept!of!creating!a!network!of!locallyDfocused!sharedDwork!centres!within!the!
developing!Mobility!Hub!network!of!the!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area.!!
!
We!believe!that!the!relationship!between!mobility!and!work!is!changing!rapidly,!and!with!
our!region!struggling!with!problems!linked!to!traffic!congestion,!integrating!sharedDwork!
centres!(“Workspace!Hubs”)!into!the!developing!mixedDused!density!around!our!region’s!
transportation!nodes!holds!valuable!potential!for!improving!workDlife!balance!and!
strengthening!our!regional!economy.!!
!
The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!(CSI)!is!a!pioneer!in!the!creation!of!shared!workspaces.!Our!
work!is!focused!on!creating!these!spaces!and!communities!with!a!focus!on!social!impact.!We!
see!the!potential!to!transform!neighbourhoods,!communities!and!transportation!patterns!my!
changing!how!work!happens.!!
!
This!said,!this!report!is!not!an!expansion!plan!for!CSI,!but!rather!an!exploration!into!creating!
sometime!entirely!new.!A!conceptual!roadmap!for!creating!a!network!of!meaningful!places,!
focused!on!faceDtoDface!networks,!collaboration,!creativity,!community!and!work.!
!
1! ! !
Section!One!!Introduction:!Background!&!Context!
This!feasibility!study!aims!to!objectively!and!rationally!uncover!the!strengths!and!
weaknesses!of!a!proposed!venture,!opportunities!and!threats!as!presented!by!the!
environment,!the!resources!required!to!carry!through,!and!ultimately!the!prospects!for!
success.!
!
1.2. Guiding Principles

!
As!we!set!out!on!this!investigation,!we!did!so!with!the!following!set!of!principles!in!mind:!
!
! Focus!on!suburban!centres!
! Plan!for!a!network!of!locations!with!GTHA!coverage!
! Change!how!people!work…!fundamentally!change!commuter!patterns!
! Be!an!attractive!alternative!for!corporate!mobile!workers!and!teleworkers!
! Activate!local!entrepreneurs!
! Connect!innovators!across!sector/industry!boundaries!
! Contribute!to!a!lowerDcarbon!economy!
! Stress!the!“hyperDlocal”,!with!heavy!emphasis!on!local!community!and!placeDmaking!
! Keep!people!in!their!communities,!connected!to!family!and!local!organizations!
! Be!engines!of!growth!for!local!economic!development!
! Blend!highDtech!with!the!personal:!the!‘internet!world’!needs!faceDtoDface!
communications!now!more!than!ever!
! Remain!a!socialDpurpose!venture!and!operate!on!solid!business!principles!
! Minimize!risk!for!investors!
! If!successful,!consider!replicability!and!scalability!beyond!GTHA!
!
1.3. The Increasing Costs of Congestion as a Tipping Point to Mass Telecommuting

!
Countless!business!strategy!reports!point!to!a!changing!workplace!reality!in!this!age!of!
mobile!communications!technology.!A!recent!such!report!published!by!the!enterprise!
technology!developer!Citrix,!entitled!“The!Future!of!Work!is!Now”,!sums!up!this!changing!
world!by!suggesting!that:!“There!is!a!change!in!mindset!from!employees!of!the!past!who!
believe!that!work!is!a!place!to!go….![Modern!employees]!don’t!have!to!work!in!a!structured!9!
to!5!job!from!a!cubicle!or!even!from!a!desk.!Work!is!no!longer!a!physical!location!that!we!
need!to!go!to.”!!
!
And!while!many!premature!announcements!claiming!the!arrival!of!the!telecommuting!have!
been!made!since!the!invention!of!the!personal!computer,!the!situation!of!regional!gridlock!
and!record!commute!times!in!the!GTHA!is!placing!our!region!in!a!unique!position!where!
mass!telecommuting!might!be!required!as!part!of!the!strategy!to!combat!the!social,!economic!
and!environmental!problems!brought!on!by!increased!traffic!strain!across!the!region.!
!
!Congestion!is!indisputably!one!of!the!single!largest!threats!to!our!region’s!competitiveness!
and!is!an!issue!that!requires!both!infrastructural!improvements!as!well!as!behavioral!
changes.!A!2012!study!conducted!by!the!Toronto!Board!of!Trade!estimated!that!congestion!
cost!the!GTHA!economy!$6B!in!2006!with!projections!toping!$30B!per!year!by!2031!if!the!
region!continues!to!grow!without!investment!in!necessary!infrastructure!improvements!
(see:!Toronto!Board!of!Trade,!“The!Move!Ahead:!Funding!‘The!Big!Move’”,!2012).!!
!
Meanwhile,!the!economic!costs!of!congestion!are!only!part!of!the!story.!Social!and!health!
impacts!brought!on!by!exceedingly!long!commute!times!are!well!documented.!Family!income!
earners!who!cannot!afford!the!price!of!real!estate!close!to!their!place!of!employment!have!
2! ! ! Centre!for!Social!Innovation! ! !
!
little!options!but!to!endure!the!social!and!health!impacts!brought!on!by!long!commutes,!
diminishing!their!opportunity!to!contribute!to!family!and!community!activities.!
!
Concurrently,!advances!in!mobile!communications!technology!(and!associated!widespread!
adoption!rates!within!mainstream!business)!present!new!opportunities!for!employees!to!
“free”!themselves!from!fixed!and!farDflung!office!locations.!!
!
It!is!clearly!understood!that!improvements!to!our!region’s!transportation!system!–!especially!
the!highDorder!public!transportation!network!–!are!urgently!needed!to!enable!the!region’s!
economy!to!continue!to!thrive.!However,!it!is!also!our!position!that!it!is!important!to!
consider!behavioral!changes!around!how!and!why!we!take!the!many!autoDbased!trips!that!we!
do!in!our!daily!lives.!Behavior!is!an!easier!problem!to!tackle!than!agreeing!on!how!to!finance!
and!commission!major!generational!infrastructure!projects!and!as!such,!platforms!such!as!
this!one!should!be!carefully!considered!while!we!debate!multiDbillion!dollar!‘built’!solutions.!!
!
The!service!offering!that!we!are!testing!in!this!feasibility!study!will!run!concurrent!with!
infrastructural!improvements,!and!we!are!motivated!by!the!same!set!of!problems!brought!on!
by!congestion.!However,!by!comparison!to!major!spending!in!infrastructure,!our!approach!is!
several!degrees!more!affordable,!easier!and!quicker!to!execute,!while!maintaining!significant!
local!community!transformation.!
1.4. Project Focus: Place-making in Suburban Centres

!
Our!focus!for!this!project!is!to!examine!the!possibilities!of!locating!sharedDwork!facilities!in!
existing!or!developing!suburban!centres.!The!development!momentum!that!we!see!in!
various!suburban!municipalities,!from!Vaughan!to!Markham!to!Mississauga!City!Centre!and!
others,!is!strong!and!is!pushing!toward!creating!very!urban!identities!for!these!areas,!
including!new!‘downtowns’!and!‘central!business!districts’.!Taken!together,!these!
development!projects!suggest!a!regionDwide!reshaping!of!the!typical!suburban!landscape,!
and!invite!new!ideas!and!solutions.!!
!
One!common!aspect!of!all!the!suburban!growth!projects!is!that!they!are!all!focused!on!places!
where!various!modes!of!transportation!connect.!The!places!of!growth!are!happening!where!
highways,!regional!commuter!trains,!local!transit!services,!bike!paths,!and!so!on!all!meet,!
allowing!future!generations!to!move!through!the!region!more!easily.!!
!
The!attraction!for!sharedDworkspaces!to!locate!at!these!interchange!locations!is!logical.!
Locating!here!would!mean!that!these!are!the!bestDconnected!places!in!the!region:!settings!of!
future!growth!and!density.!The!Mobility!Hubs!of!the!future!will!be!places!that!are!easy!to!get!
to!(and!close!to!residential!density)!and!easy!to!move!about!the!region!from,!when!the!need!
arises.!
!
We!feel!that!as!the!region!continues!to!grow,!suburban!centres!will!gain!increasingly!
important!roles!and!we!envision!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!to!be!tightly!integrated!with!
the!growing!culture!and!community!of!these!locations.!!
1.5. Target Audiences

!
Each!Workspace!Hub!would!be!designed!for!local!users,!including!a!mix!of!entrepreneurs,!
small!business!startDups,!creators!and!mobile!professionals!who!might!otherwise!be!facing!
long!commute!times.!
!
We!would!target!spaces!in!the!primary!or!secondary!zones!of!each!Mobility!Hub!catchment!
area!(+/D!500m!or!an!approximate!5!min!walk!to!transit!connection),!ensuring!access!to!the!
3! ! !
highest!number!of!people!possible.!Each!Workplace!Hub!will!feature!professional,!creative,!
innovative!and!collaborative!workspaces!that!we!expect!will!appeal!to!a!range!of!potential!
users.!!
!
By!creating!inspiring,!local!workspaces,!fully!outfitted!with!the!best!in!telecommunications!
and!office!facilities!mixed!with!the!magic!of!community!and!creativity,!we!believe!that!we!
can!enrich!the!quality!of!life!for!employees!and!unleash!the!potential!of!innovation.!
!
In!addition!to!individual!users,!we!would!expect!to!market!the!space!to!large!and!midDsized!
employers!who!could!benefit!from!having!a!network!of!remote!office!locations!for!select!
members!of!their!teams!to!work!out!of,!while!reducing!their!head!office!real!estate!burden.!
Already!we!are!seeing!a!trend!among!large!enterprise!employers!to!convert!office!space!from!
dedicated!workstations!to!flexible!hoteling!systems,!a!change!that!indicates!a!new!
willingness!for!flexible!and/or!remote!work.!We!feel!that!this!offering!fits!very!comfortably!
with!this!emerging!sector.!
!
We!believe!that!this!dynamic!mix!of!people!will!more!than!simply!reduce!stress!on!existing!
transit!and!offer!superior!land!use,!rather!it!will!also!be!able!to!lean!into!and!harness!the!
diversity!and!richness!of!these!communities!through!aggregating!the!social!capital!of!the!
individual!neighbourhoods.!We!believe!that!we!can!create!community!and!inspire!
collaboration!with!the!right!approach.!!
1.6. Social & Environmental Impact

!
Among!the!very!central!forces!pushing!the!Workspace!Hubs!project,!is!the!essential!need!to!
create!a!lower!carbon!economy.!Transportation!in!Ontario!is!a!major!contributor!to!the!
emissions!of!Greenhouse!Gases!and!Criteria!Air!Contaminants!that!are!proven!to!have!drastic!
health!and!environmental!impacts.!Reducing!the!number!of!unnecessary!trips!made!in!
singleDoccupancy!vehicles!is!a!nearDterm!target!that!we!wish!to!stress!with!this!project.!
!
Rapid!advances!in!technology!have!greatly!enhanced!our!ability!to!work!from!a!
decentralized!location,!yet!our!region!continues!to!fight!with!roadway!congestion,!ranking!
Toronto!as!one!of!the!worst!places!for!congestion!in!the!world.!Furthermore,!vehicular!
congestion!threatens!both!our!environment!and!society.!The!environmental!and!social!
benefit!of!our!Workspace!Hubs!project!form!the!pillars!of!our!conceptual!approach.!!
!
We!believe!that!by!opening!a!regional!network!of!Workspace!Hubs!we!can:!
!
! Reduce!travel!by!car,!thus!reducing!GHG!emissions!and!gridlock!
! Build!local!social!capital,!thus!fostering!economic!development!and!citizen!engagement!
! Reduce!travelling!time!thus!improving!workDlife!balance!and!individual!happiness!
1.7. Associated Trends

1.7.1. The Future of Work
!
“There'are'forces'at'work'that'over'the'coming'decades'will'destroy'forever'many'of'the'old'
assumptions'of'a'traditional'job'and'career.'Around'the'world,'outdated'hierarchies'will'
crumble;'notions'of'905'working'will'come'under'immense'pressure;'and'those'who'in'the'past'
would'have'been'disadvantaged'will'have'the'opportunity'to'join'the'global'talent'pool”.''
D The'Shift:'The'Future'of'Work'is'Already'Here,!Lynda!Gratton!(2011).!
!
!
Macro!forces!around!the!future!of!office!work!seep!through!this!feasibility!study!in!many!
ways,!in!particular!around!the!innovative!use!of!communications!technology!in!the!
workplace.!As!our!economy!develops!deeper!and!deeper!into!a!knowledgeDbased!world,!
changes!to!the!way!that!work!is!performed!and!managed!are!expected!to!continue.!
Employees!across!all!sectors!are!beginning!to!work!remotely,!either!occasionally!or!through!
programmatic!policy!initiatives!lead!by!their!employer,!many!of!whom!are!recognizing!the!
potential!real!estate!savings!available!to!them!by!decreasing!the!leased!foot!print!of!their!
headquarters.!
!
And!beyond!the!changes!in!employeeDemployer!management!relationships!within!large!
enterprise!corporations,!there!is!an!emerging!sector!of!our!economy!that!is!made!up!of!soD
called!‘microDenterprises’:!companies!with!three!or!fewer!employees.!Attributed!in!part!to!
the!fallDout!of!the!2008/09!global!recession!–!which!saw!spikes!in!layoffs!across!virtually!all!
sectors!–!many!more!people!are!drawn!to!selfDmanaged!enterprises!than!ever!before!and!the!
availability!of!professional!software!has!enabled!a!boom!of!startDup!enterprises!across!our!
region.!
!!
These!changes!carried!out!en'masse!have!the!potential!to!transform!the!suburbanDcity!
dichotomy,!conceivably!converting!previous!bedroom!communities!into!areas!fertile!with!
knowledgeDbased!workers.!!
1.7.2. Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation

!
“[Social'entrepreneurship]'is'one'of'the'most'hopeful'and'helpful'trends'around.'These'folks'
aren’t'famous,'but'they'are'showing'that'what'it'really'takes'to'change'the'world'isn’t'so'much'
wealth'or'power,'but'creativity,'determination'and'passion.”''
D Nicholas!Kristof,!Pulitzer!Prize!Winning!Columnist,!The'New'York'Times!
!
Entrepreneurship!is!moving!into!the!mainstream!and!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!will!look!
to!lead!the!way!by!establishing!focal!points!for!the!social!leaders!in!all!the!respective!
communities.!
1.7.3. Growth of Coworking

!
Coworking!is!still!a!relatively!new!idea!that!is!growing!in!popularity.!Originally!starting!out!
in!apartments!and!libraries!where!telecommuters!gathered!to!socialize!and!boost!creativity,!
the!practice!has!grown!into!a!marketplace!with!diverse!providers!such!as!the!Hub!(locations!
across!Europe,!Canada!and!the!US),!CoCo!(Minneapolis/St.!Paul),!Rocket!Space!(San!
Francisco)!and!Sandbox!Suites!(Bay!Area).!!Independent!coworking!spaces!are!popping!up!
everywhere.!
Worldwide,!there!are!roughly!2,000+!of!these!shared!workplaces!(with!approximately!
80,000!people!working!in!them)!according!to!Deskmag,!a!BerlinDbased!magazine!focused!on!
the!coworking!sector.!Coworking!offers!another!alternative!for!workers!as!flexible!and!
mobile!ways!of!working!are!becoming!more!common.!!
5! ! !
1.8. Comparable Examples

!
While!we!do!not!feel!that!there!is!a!precise!comparator!to!what!we!are!proposing,!it!is!
helpful!nonetheless!to!examine!the!marketplace!to!see!what!competitive!services!are!also!
available!to!the!consumer.!!
!
Coworking!
Business! Organizations! Rural!
Public!Spaces! Workspace!Hubs!
Centres!(Regus)! Across!the! TeleCentres!
! GTA!
Target! Executives,! Freelancers,! Commuting! Mobile! Freelancers,!social!
customers! corporate!and! entrepreneurs,! employees,!coD employees! entrepreneurs,!
business! startDups! workers! startDups,!large!
employees!(eg:! companies,!others!
real!estate!
agencies…)!
Location! MegaDurban! MegaD Rural! Public!space! MegaD
urban/Rural! urban/Urban!
Downtown! Residential! Residential!Areas! Airports,!train! ResidentialD

Business! Areas! stations,!coffee! Transportation!
Districts! shops,!libraries! closeDby!(20!
minutes!max!from!
home)!
Revenue! D!space!rental! D!space!rental! D!space!rental! D!N/A! D!services!platform!
Sources! D!payDasDyouDuse! D!pay!asDyouD D!subscription! D!office!and!desk!
D!subscription! use! D!subsidies! rental!
D!subscription! D!payDasDyouDuse!
D!subsidies! D!grants!
D!events! Devents!
#!across!the! 19! Roughly!20! Emerging! Grows!with! Vision!for!6D10!
GTA!today! wifi!
1.9. Background: About the Centre for Social Innovation

!
The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!(CSI)!is!a!social!enterprise!with!a!mission!to!catalyze,!
connect!and!support!new!ideas!that!make!positive!change!in!the!world.!It!currently!operates!
94,000!square!feet!in!three!locations!in!Toronto!and!one!in!New!York!City.!CSI!is!home!to!
over!600!organizations!that!are!working!to!meet!the!needs!of!communities!across!the!city!
and!around!the!world.
By!providing!access!to!shared!space!and!services,!community!programming,!social!venture!
support!and!a!positive!work!atmosphere,!CSI!enables!these!organizations!to!increase!their!
efficiency!and!achieve!greater!social!impact.!With!more!than!20,000!people!coming!through!
the!Centre!annually,!CSI!is!a!recognized!leader!in!animating!diverse!audiences,!encouraging!
collaboration,!and!fostering!social!change.
Theory!of!Change!
The!Centre’s!success!is!rooted!in!its!Theory!of!Change.!This!Theory!places!three!core!
elements!in!hierarchical!order:!space,!community!and!innovation.!CSI!starts!by!consciously!
creating!a!physical!space!that!is!functional,!whimsical,!inviting!and!energizing.!Next,!CSI!
focus!on!the!community.!What!begins!as!a!group!of!people!looking!for!a!place!to!work!
becomes!a!community!through!conscious!and!careful!animation.!These!layers!form!the!basis!
for!innovation,!with!the!right!values!and!the!right!environment!DDD!voila!!DDD!you!have!a!
platform!on!which!to!catalyze!and!spark!social!innovation.!Just!add!a!little!intentionality!and!
!
some!values!(entrepreneurship,!collaboration!and!diversity)!and!you!are!on!your!way.!The!
results!are!unpredictable!and!often!astonishing.!
CSI!Core!I!Collocation!Model!
Currently,!CSI!operates!94,000!square!feet!of!space!that!includes!140!private!offices,!160!
permanent!desks,!and!a!community!of!“Hot!Desk”!members.!The!appeal!of!the!CSI!model!is!
simple:!together,!the!members!can!achieve!more!than!any!single!organization!can!do!on!its!
own.!By!pooling!resources,!tenants!are!able!to!access!office!amenities!–!such!as!boardrooms,!
kitchen!facilities,!Internet,!photocopiers,!fax!machine,!and!audioDvisual!equipment!–!that!are!
otherwise!out!of!reach.!The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!orchestrates!this!collaboration!and!
animates!the!space!with!its!own!programming!and!initiatives!in!support!of!its!members.
The!CSI!business!model!is!straightforward.!There!are!three!types!of!tenancy:
! Private!Office!Space:!Private!offices!are!lockable!spaces!that!belong!to!a!single!
organization!or!individual!and!cannot!be!accessed!by!others.!
! Permanent!Desk!Space:!Permanent!desks!are!private!desk!spaces!in!an!open!
environment,!but!which!belong!to!one!individual!and!cannot!be!accessed!by!others.!
! Hot!Desks:!Hot!desks!are!shared!desks!in!a!common!area!that!are!accessible!to!members!
based!on!packages!of!5,!20,!60,!or!100!hours!per!month.!
This!mix!of!tenancy!types!is!unique!to!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation,!and!is!based!on!CSI’s!
belief!that!different!people!and!projects!have!different!workspace!needs.!This!model!
accommodates!a!variety!of!different!groups!and!organizational!types.!The!private!office!
space!tenants!often!bring!elements!of!stability!and!experience!that!permanent!desk!and!
temporary!desk!tenants!don’t!have.!The!permanent!desk!and!hot!desk!tenants!bring!a!high!
level!of!energy!and!a!strong!willingness!to!collaborate.!By!providing!a!variety!of!options!for!
members!CSI!serves!the!needs!of!the!widest!possible!array!of!organizations!and!individuals.!
1.9.1. Background: Knowledge and Experience

!
Our!successes!in!space!design,!community!animation,!and!dayDtoDday!facility!operations!have!
made!us!global!leaders!in!the!field.!Below!is!a!review!of!some!of!the!assets!CSI!brings!to!the!
table:!
!
Space!Design!
Space!is!never!neutral.!The!construction!and!design!of!a!space!has!a!psychology!and!social!
impact;!it!facilitates!certain!behaviors!and!feelings!and!it!proscribes!others.!This!basic!insight!
is!critical!to!space!design.!The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!makes!best!possible!use!of!this!
insight!and!has!refined!the!practice!of!work!space!design!over!the!past!eight!years.!We’ve!
learned!how!to!best!design!healthy!workspaces!that!serve!our!goals:!to!foster!productivity,!
to!facilitate!collaboration,!to!build!social!capital!and!to!spark!creativity.!
Community!Animation!
A!community!can!be!left!to!its!own!devices,!where!relationships!and!practices!will!evolve!
over!time.!But!the!practice!of!building!community!–!and!the!practices!of!animating!
community!–!can!also!be!consciously!performed.!CSI!has!elevated!the!practice!of!community!
building!to!its!own!profession!within!shared!workspaces.!Our!Community!Animators!pursue!
7! ! !
the!explicit!goals!of!fostering!connectivity,!maintaining!and!building!community!spirit,!and!
actively!curating!the!social,!psychological,!and!physical!environment.!Community!Animation!
is!central!to!the!work!of!CSI,!and!at!the!root!of!turning!a!shared!workspace!into!a!dynamic!
community.!
Facility!Operations!
CSI!has!significant!experience!managing!dynamic!community!shared!workspaces!and!events.!
This!covers!the!entire!gamut!of!facilities!management.!Our!experience!includes:
! creating!and!managing!leasing!agreements!!
! maintaining!tenant!relationships!and!internal!communications!!
! rent!payments!and!collections!!
! space!design!and!interior!design!!
! thirdDparty!service!liaison!and!oversight!(e.g.,!plumbing,!electrical,!cleaning,!security,!
etc.)!!
! human!resources!management!!
! event!and!program!planning!and!management!!
! dayDtoDday!administration!
Reputation!for!Excellence!and!Innovation
Since!first!opening!our!doors!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!has!been!determined!to!prove!
that!excellence!and!innovation!are!possible!in!a!nonprofit!organization.!We!have!striven!to!
exceed!the!expectations!of!our!funders,!supporters,!members,!and!the!broader!community,!
developing!a!reputation!for!excellence!and!innovation.!We!believe!we!have!achieved!this!
goal,!and!have!created!an!organization!that!is!recognized!for!its!vital!mix!of!creativity!and!
professionalism.
Incubated!Project!Management
In!addition!to!running!a!successful!shared!space!facility,!CSI!staff!have!been!acting!as!venture!
capitalist!for!social!change.!Providing!the!trusteeship,!book!keeping,!coaching,!management!
oversight,!fundraising!and!whatever!other!supports!were!necessary!to!ensure!the!success!of!
the!project,!CSI!has!been!home!to!over!a!dozen!successful!social!ventures!which!reflect!our!
values!of!collaboration,!entrepreneurship!and!systems!change.
Recognition!
The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!has!been!recognized!by!the!local,!national!and!international!
community!for!its!accomplishments.!
! In!2013,!CSI!was!recognized!by!the!Social!Finance!Awards!for!its!excellence!in!
collaborative!solutions!
! In!2010!Tonya!Surman!was!named!a!Global!Ashoka!Fellow:!a!Global!Network!of!Social!
Entrepreneurs.!
! In!2009!Tonya!Surman!received!a!Leaders!in!Social!Change!Award!from!the!Canadian!
New!Media!Awards!for!her!work!at!CSI.!
! In!2009!CSI!received!the!Canadian!Urban!Institute!Award!for!City!Innovation.!!
! In!2008!CSI!won!the!Messenger!Award!from!AWAY!Express!for!its!work!supporting!
social!enterprise.!!
! In!2008!CSI!was!best!Social!Enterprise!by!NOW!Magazine!!
! In!2007:!CSI!won!the!Toronto!Community!Foundation!Vital!Idea!Award.!!
!
2. MARKET RESEARCH FINDINGS

!
Successfully!executing!a!broad!vision!such!as!this!depends!on!several!related!(but!distinct)!
factors!liningDup,!creating!the!conditions!for!success!venture.!Our!market!research!therefore!
extends!in!several!directions.!!
!
From!the!perspective!of!regional!development,!we!need!to!see!verified!indications!that!the!land!
around!suburban!transit!nodes!will!in!fact!be!redesigned!in!a!way!that!would!support!
meaningful,!mixedDuse!density.!Employment!uses!are!an!essential!part!of!this!mix:!a!way!of!
ensuring!that!these!areas!will!become!fertile!economic!centres!and!not!simply!reconfigured!
bedroom!communities.!We!don’t!intend!to!open!a!location!in!a!development!vacuum,!but!rather!
as!a!key!component!to!a!cluster!of!complimentary!uses.!
!
Sufficient!demand!for!the!service!must!also!be!identified.!Our!fully!articulated!model!creates!
workspaces!for!nineteen!hundred!innovators,!entrepreneurs!and!knowledge!workers!across!the!
region!(in!a!mix!of!permanent!and!‘hot!desk’!packages).!We!feel!that!the!movement!toward!
entrepreneurial!enterprise!has!never!been!stronger!in!our!region!than!it!is!today!–!Toronto!!
recently!ranked!fourth!globally!(2012)!for!top!startDup!ecosystem!by!an!innovative!
benchmarking!system!named!StartDup!Compass!–!and!that!these!dynamics!are!not!limited!to!an!
environment!such!as!downtown!Toronto!alone.!Coworking!centres!around!the!world!are!
thriving,!and!we!must!take!a!close!look!at!trends!and!developments.!!!
!
Crucially,!we!are!predicating!the!success!of!this!project!on!additional!demand!from!whiteDcollar!
knowledge!workers!who!are!looking!for!an!alternative!to!commuting.!Investigating!the!regional!
pressure!points!around!commute!times!is!an!essential!component!of!our!study.!
!
Related!to!the!importance!of!enterprise!business!commuters!as!part!of!the!Workspace!Hub!
community,!understanding!the!mood!of!large!corporate!employers!and!they!are!willing!and/or!
prepared!to!allow!and!more!importantly!enable!(and!possibly!pay!for)!their!employees!to!work!
our!of!a!Workspace!Hub!is!a!crucial!aspect!of!our!market!research.!
2.1. Important Regional Factors

!
The!commercial!office!market!in!the!GTHA!will!continue!to!grow.!Based!on!population!
growth!estimates!for!the!GTHA,!along!with!continued!redefining!of!our!labour!market!
(toward!a!greater!concentration!of!“knowledge”!workers)!the!Canadian!Urban!Institute!
expects!that!our!region!will!require!an!additional!100million!square!feet!of!new!office!space!
to!be!built!to!accommodate!future!populations!(Canadian!Urban!Institute,!Strategic'Regional'
Research:'A'Region'in'Transition,!January!2013).!
!
For!a!healthy!region,!more!jobs!need!to!locate!in!the!suburbs.!Finding!places!for!these!
new!jobs!to!locate!is!a!challenge!as!our!region!continues!to!grow,!meanwhile!congestion!is!
crippling!the!905!regions:!“[Severe!suburban!congestion]!could!be!interpreted!as!the!tipping!
point!where!coDordinated!policy!balancing!and!integrating!the!impact!of!all!three!policy!tools!
in!the!Region,!planning,!transit!and!economic!development,!could!prove!to!be!vital”!the!
report!explains!(Canadian!Urban!Institute,!Strategic'Regional'Research:'A'Region'in'
Transition,!January!2013).!Our!region!needs!to!continue!growing!its!suburban!centres!in!
order!to!have!a!strong!urban!economy.!
!
Office!space!at!transit!nodes!is!presently!underdeveloped.!Much!of!the!existing!office!
space!in!the!suburbs!is!located!in!autoDdependent!‘office!parks’:!commercial!land!that!was!
conceived!as!industrial!land!that!has!migrated!to!administrative!office!use.!The!glut!of!office!
9! ! !
Section!Two!!Market!Research!Summary!
space!in!these!amenityDlacking!areas!poses!a!considerable!strain!on!transportation!
infrastructure!and!is!a!major!contributor!to!suburban!congestion.!!
!
Mobility!Hubs!serve!as!competitive!advantage!in!new!economy.!Office!areas!located!
within!the!Mobility!Hub!network!will!be!at!a!competitive!advantage!when!compared!to!
typical!suburban!office!space!and!in!many!ways!will!provide!a!new!product!to!the!market!
place,!stressing!accessibility!through!active!transportation!(walking,!bicycling)!and!ready!
connectivity!to!regional!and!local!public!transportation!systems.!
!
!
!
Office!Concentrations:!The!map!above!highlights!concentrations!of!office!building!supply!
! against!the!distribution!of!Urban!Growth!Centres!(UGCs),!underscoring!the!growth!potential!
! around!UGCs.!
!
The!Places'to'Grow!Act!is!working.!A!transportation!network!is!only!as!good!as!the!land!
use!decisions!related!to!the!land!throughout!the!network!and!in!our!province,!land!use!
decisions!are!made!at!the!municipal!level.!The!provincial!government’s!Place'To'Grow!Act!
(2006)!was!designed!as!a!framework!for!municipalities!to!follow!that!would!achieve!new!
density!and!mixedDuse!targets!around!future!transportation!hubs.!The!impact!of!these!
decisions!are!sometimes!generational!in!the!time!required!to!mature,!but!in!almost!uniform!
fashion,!the!municipalities!across!the!GTHA!–!Vaughan,!Richmond!Hill,!Mississaua,!Markham!
and!Pickering!as!examples!–!are!committed!and!fully!engaged!in!the!transformation!of!these!
lands.!While!the!financing!and!timing!of!some!of!the!transportation!infrastructure!is!under!
review,!the!land!use!changes!are!already!underway.!
2.2. Global Coworking Trends

(contributed by Cisco’s IBSG)
!
Opportunities!
!
Macro!and!micro!trends!support!coworking!(and!its!growth)!generally.!Coworking!
has!potential!beyond!its!immediate!benefits!(e.g.!role!in!job!creation!and!economic!growth,!
if!orchestrated!properly).!
!
Coworking!and!mobile!offices!represent!a!new!work!model.!The!coworking!model!fits!
with!progressive!aspirations!for!a!sustainable,!innovative!future.!
!
!
Demand!is!set!to!increase.!Coworking!demand!should!increase!in!Canada!as!telework!
takes!hold!in!government!and!across!the!private!sector.!The!government!of!Australia,!for!
example,!just!raised!its!telework!targets!to!20%!by!2020.!!
!
Satisfaction!rates!continue!to!be!high.!Overall!satisfaction!rates!with!coworking!
organizations!remain!high!at!over!80%,!with!low!turnover!generally.!
!
Success!rates!for!privatelyIrun!coworking!spaces!is!high.!Roughly!72%!of!coworking!
spaces!become!profitable!after!2!years.!For!privatelyDrun!coworking!spaces!the!
profitability!rate!after!more!than!two!years!is!even!higher,!at!87%!(source:'deskmag)!
!
Threats!
!
Coworking!across!the!globe!is!made!up!of!“small!pieces,!loosely!joined”.!According!to!
Deskmag’s!3rd!Global!Coworking!Survey,!80%!of!coworking!spaces!do!not!belong!to!a!
network!of!coworking!spaces.!Only!5%!are!in!a!franchise,!6%!are!part!of!an!association,!
and!10%!are!in!a!network!of!spaces!(source:'Deskmag)!
!
LargeIscale!competition!for!coworkers!across!the!GTA!is!likely!to!increase.!Including!
increased!competition!from!incumbent!players!like!Regus!(e.g.!Regus!Purple!is!aimed!at!the!
coworking!and!distributed!work!market).!
!
Coworking!remains!a!‘place’!first!model.!If!a!better!“place”!is!made!available,!are!you!
able!to!maintain!your!community!of!coworkers?!
!
Limited!corporate!takeIup!of!coworking.!To!date,!the!corporate!enterprise!community!
has!been!slow!to!enable!employees!to!work!out!of!coworking!facilities.!
2.3. GTHA Commuter Profiles

(from Smart Commute/Metrolinx & Pembina Institute)
!
The'following'research'data'originally'appeared'in:''
“Commuter'Attitudes'Survey'2011:'Report'Prepared'for'Smart'Commute”''
(Ipsos'for'Metrolinx,'2011)'
!
Satisfaction!with!commuting!is!at!an!“allItime!low”.!According!to!the!latest!Commuter!
Attitudes!Survey!(2011)!completed!by!Ipsos!Reid!for!Smart!Commute/Metrolinx,!the!
average!commute!time!is!rising!(up!to!36.4!minutes!one!way!in!2011)!and!those!
commuters!all!across!the!region!are!understandably!frustrated.!The!average!commuter!
presently!commutes!to!work!4.5!days!per!week.!
!
Commuting!in!the!GTHA!is!no!longer!a!oneIway!experience.!While!it!once!might!have!
been!the!case!that!the!majority!of!commuting!trips!in!the!GTHA!originated!in!the!suburbs,!
traveled!into!Toronto!and!returned!to!the!suburbs!at!day’s!end,!this!no!longer!represents!
the!commuting!patterns!in!the!GTHA.!The!soDcalled!reverse0commute!has!been!on!the!
increase,!as!have!suburbDtoDsuburb!commuting!patterns.!
!
! !
11! ! !
Commuters!who!begin!their!trip!in!Durham!face!the!longest!commutes,!those!in!
Hamilton!the!shortest.!According!to!the!latest!Commuter!Attitudes!Survey:!
!
Average!Commute!in! 2005! 2008! 2011!
Minutes!
GTHA! 34.6! 34.6! 36.4!
!
Avg.!Commute!of!those!who! 2005! 2008! 2011!
live!in:!
Toronto! 33.2! 37.1! 36.4!
York! 35.4! 36.7! 38.6!
Durham! 42.8! 34.2! 39.9!
Peel! 37.4! 29.4! 36.9!
Halton! 38.4! 34.9! 34.4!
Hamilton! 31.2! 29.8! 29.6!
!
Teleworking!is!on!the!rise.!The!number!of!GTHA!commuters!who!identified!themselves!
as!teleworkers!–!office!based!employees!who!work!from!home!a!minimum!of!three!days!
per!week!–!grew!60%!between!2008!&!2011!(but!still!only!made!up!8%!of!total!commuters!
surveyed!in!the!Commuters!Attitudes!Survey).!!
!
Teleworkers!in!Peel!are!most!committed!to!working!remotely.!Teleworking!by!region,!
a!summary!that!shows!both!high!numbers!and!strong!growth!of!teleworking!in!Peel!
Region,!while!Halton!and!Durham!lag!behind:!
!
Mean!number!of! 2005! 2008! 2011!
days/month!spend!
teleworking!
Total! 14.3! 19.7! 20.3!
Toronto! 14.2! 16.0! 18.9!
York! 25.0! 21.0! 21.8!
Durham! D! 15.0! 16.7!
Peel! 11.0! 21.5! 25.9!
Halton! D! D! 15.4!
Hamilton! D! 21.0! 18.2!
!
One!quarter!of!teleworkers!use!equipment!subsidized!by!their!employer.!24%!of!
teleworkers!state!that!their!employer!supplies!equipment!for!the!facilitation!of!
teleworking,!down!from!29%!of!employers!in!2008.!!
!
The'following'research'data'originally'appeared'in:'''
“Drivers'Choice:'Options'to'manage'gridlock'and'fund'rapid'transit'in'the'GTA”'
(Pembina'Institute,'2012)'
!
There!is!strong!interest!in!teleworking!throughout!the!GTHA.!94%!of!respondents!to!
Pembina!Institute!survey!stated!that!they!would!be!interested!in!permanent!
telecommuting!if!offered!by!their!employer.!
Some!degree!of!telecommuting!is!presently!available!to!most!commuters.!Currently!
69%!of!those!surveyed!have!jobs!flexible!enough!to!allow!for!occasional!telecommuting,!
with!43%!of!drivers!taking!advantage!of!occasional!telecommuting.!25%!of!respondents!do!
so!once!a!week!or!more,!20%!a!few!times!a!month!and!23%!at!least!once!a!month.!
!
Commuting!interferes!with!quality!of!life.!TwoDthirds!of!respondents!say!commuting!
takes!away!from!quality!of!life!in!terms!of!family!and!personal!time.!!
2.4. Corporate Readiness

!
Over!the!course!of!this!study,!we!held!many!informational!interviews!with!senior!
management!officials!from!major!employers!in!the!GTA,!covering!a!diverse!range!of!sectors!
(including!financial!services,!legal/administrative,!IT!consulting!and!telecommunications)!
to!gauge!how!corporate!Toronto!might!or!might!not!embrace!the!concept!of!allowing!their!
employees!to!use!a!coworking!service.!We!discussed!a!series!of!topics!with!each!
interviewee,!ranging!from!mobility!policies,!the!use!of!technology!in!the!workplace,!real!
estate!objectives!and!strategies,!environmental!incentive!programs!and!ultimately!the!
usefulness!of!a!sharedDwork!service.!
!
In!several!cases!we!were!given!access!to!their!corporate!office!space!to!see!firstDhand!the!
policies!in!action,!access!that!we!very!sincerely!appreciated.!In!a!handful!of!cases,!the!
interviewees!asked!that!we!not!name!their!company!by!name!in!our!report,!so!as!not!to!
give!away!any!operational!advantage!they!perceive!to!hold,!a!courtesy!we!chose!to!extend!
to!all!who!assisted!us!with!the!information!gathering.!!
!
Office!Culture!
!
Corporate!offices!are!becoming!more!flexible!with!their!space!than!ever.!The!
standard!corporate!office!template!that!featured!senior!management!personnel!
monopolizing!the!window!offices!with!support!staff!lining!the!interior,!appears!to!be!a!
thing!of!the!past!in!the!new!office!designs!in!large!corporate!offices.!Office!space!is!being!
designed!more!and!more!to!have!flexible!functions,!with!more!and!more!breakout!and!
team!collaboration!space!taking!the!place!of!the!reduction!in!private!offices.!!
!
HotIdesking!and!hoteling!stations!are!commonplace!(but!not!yet!the!norm).!In!
varying!degrees,!hoteling!stations!are!becoming!more!and!more!commonplace!in!
commercial!office!settings.!In!particular!in!the!consulting!industry!–!but!also!in!the!
financial!services!and!telecommunications!sectors!–!employees!are!required!to!use!a!
reservations!system!to!book!a!place!to!work!for!the!day.!Often!the!employers!allow!their!
workers!to!book!in!for!up!to!a!week!at!a!time.!When!they!arrive!at!their!workplace,!at!their!
desk!they!sign!in!to!a!telecomm!hardware!device!that!routes!their!office!phone!line!locally!
and!allows!for!necessary!network!access!protocols!to!be!enabled.!While!some!highDtech!
companies!are!entirely!converted!to!this!type!of!system,!others!are!testing!with!certain!
divisions!and!teams!to!see!how!widely!it!can!be!applied.!
!
Mobile!Policy!
!
Remote!work!polices!are!largely!in!betaItesting!phase.!Large!employers!are!only!
recently!experimenting!with!articulated!policies!around!working!offDsite!and!few!
companies!have!full!companyDwide!policies!in!place.!There!is!a!good!deal!of!trepidation!
(often!tied!to!concerns!about!losing!control!of!office!culture!and!fear!of!reduced!
productivity)!around!completely!allowing!employees!to!work!where!they!chose,!and!so!
many!companies!are!testing!policies!with!certain!divisions!whom!they!feel!could!best!
handle!the!changes.!Some!companies!with!regional!offices!are!enabling!their!employees!to!
work!out!of!various!offices.!!
!
Some!sectors!will!always!be!placedIbased.!Perhaps!without!surprise,!the!major!legal!
services!providers!who!we!interviewed!disclosed!that!there!was!little!benefit!for!them!to!
enable!their!partners!and!associates!to!work!remotely.!Often!their!workload!involves!
13! ! !
servicing!clients!who!are!also!located!nearby!and!their!involvement!can!be!ongoing!in!
nature,!requiring!a!physical!location.!This!does!not!however!mean!that!smaller!
independent!causeDbased!legal!counsel!could!not!be!attracted!to!work!at!a!Workspace!Hub!
location;!in!fact!the!fit!could!be!entirely!suitable.!
!
Tools!
!
“Virtual!presence”!software!is!enabling!managers!to!monitor!offIsite!employees.!
Several!organizations!report!the!recent!adoption!of!new!software!tools!that!enable!
managers!to!oversee!employees!working!offDsite.!Among!the!most!popular!tools!used!by!
responding!organizations!is!Microsoft!Office!Communicator,!which!features!instant!
messaging!and!voice!over!Internet!Protocol!(VoIP)!services.!A!key!aspect!of!the!
Communicator!software,!which!was!repeated!many!times,!is!the!‘presence’!information!
aspect!of!the!tool:!if!a!workplace!instills!a!policy!whereby!all!their!team!members!must!use!
Communicator!regardless!of!their!physical!location,!a!supervisor!or!team!leader!can!see!
who!among!their!team!is!‘present’!and!online!at!any!given!time.!This!tool!appears!to!be!a!
popular!choice!throughout!organizations!that!are!adapting!to!management!policies!for!offD
site!employees!and!seems!to!be!a!virtual!replacement!for!visual!management!verification.!
!
Teleprescence!technology!is!rapidly!increasing!in!importance.!Virtual!meetings!
conducted!via!webcam!with!people!in!various!locations!are!fast!becoming!normalized.!
Many!organizations!are!installing!specialized!equipment!in!meeting!rooms!that!enable!a!
webDconference!experience,!and!companies!with!regional!offices!reported!a!steep!decline!
in!justification!for!traveling!long!distance!to!attend!meetings.!Cisco’s!WebEx!online!
conference!system!seems!to!be!the!most!widely!used!method!for!conducting!such!meetings.!
!
Companies!are!generally!not!subsidizing!employees!with!“extras”!to!enable!remote!
working.!As!organizations!experiment!with!mobile!work!policies,!typically,!employees!are!
not!given!extra!tools!or!resources!to!enable!their!work,!beyond!a!laptop!computer.!At!a!
head!office!location,!an!employee!would!have!access!to!a!full!range!of!office!tools!and!
technology!(from!photocopiers,!scanners,!and!so!on),!tools!that!the!homeDbased!employee!
would!not!have!access!to.!No!organization!reported!making!material!contributions!to!their!
remote!employees!to!allow!for!the!purchase!tools,!such!as!a!home!scanner,!printer!paper!or!
even!a!work!desk.!The!attitude!among!employers!who!allow!for!employees!to!work!
remotely,!is!that!working!from!home!is!a!perk!inDandDofDitself,!and!should!not!be!further!
subsidized.!Basic!laptops!are!the!norm!(typically!with!webcam!capability)!while!smart!
phones!appear!to!be!issued!on!an!asDrequired!basis.!!
!
Policy!Motivations!
!
The!highest!motivation!of!employers!who!introduce!mobile!work!policies!appears!to!
be!save!money!on!real!estate!costs.!While!allowing!employees!to!work!remotely!might!
have!direct!benefit!to!things!such!as!employee!satisfaction,!the!singular!motivation!cited!by!
organizational!respondents!was!that!mobile!work!policies!presented!employers!with!an!
opportunity!to!reduce!the!cost!spent!on!prime!real!estate.!Ratios!surrounding!the!number!
of!employees!per!square!foot!of!office!space!are!actively!being!reshaped!as!employees!are!
encouraged!to!work!from!home!and!permanent!desks!are!being!converted!to!hoteling!
stations.!While!the!typical!perDsquareDfoot!cubicle!continues!to!shrink,!some!employers!are!
reporting!factors!of!2.5!to!3.0!employees!per!desk.!With!these!major!shifts,!it!can!be!
estimated!that!organizations!are!poised!to!significantly!reduce!their!real!estate!costs!
through!this!approach,!and!this!stands!as!the!most!commonly!reported!motivation.!!
!
There!does!not!appear!to!be!a!link!between!mobile!work!policies!and!consideration!
of!carbon!impact!reduction.!It!was!our!expectation!that!organizations!would!be!attracted!
to!remoteDwork!policy!due!to!the!reduction!in!carbon!impact!that!reducing!employee!
!
commuting!would!represent,!but!this!hardly!came!up!in!the!interviews!at!all.!One!major!
employer!(that!ranks!in!the!top!ten!for!Canada’s!largest!employers)!acknowledged!that!
employee!commuting!does!not!factor!into!their!carbon!footprint!calculations!whatsoever,!
so!while!reducing!carbon!footprint!is!an!objective,!commuting!impact!is!not!a!factor!for!this!
organization.!(Reducing!its!real!estate!portfolio!however,!would!be!structured!as!a!lowerD
carbon!initiative,!albeit!not!clearly!articulated.)!
!
Management!Considerations!!
!
Protection!of!intellectual!property!is!a!major!concern.!Many!employers!cited!the!
protection!of!intellectual!property!as!a!major!concern!with!allowing!employees!to!work!in!
a!‘third!space’!(ie:!not!the!office,!or!home).!Both!from!an!internet!security!aspect!as!well!as!
from!a!social!fraternization!pointDofDview,!several!responding!organizations!articulated!an!
unease!with!their!employees!working!in!a!space!where!intellectual!property!might!be!at!
risk.!
!
Fear!of!losing!talent!appears!to!outweigh!potential!benefits!of!collaboration.!Beyond!
the!protection!of!intellectual!property,!employers!voiced!concern!about!putting!employees!
in!situations!where!they!might!be!hired!away!from!them.!Conceptually,!there!is!an!
unrealized!potential!for!collaboration!if!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!can!accomplish!
bringing!members!from!different!organizations!work!alongside!each!other.!However,!
related!to!the!protection!of!intellectual!property,!more!than!one!employer!voiced!anxieties!
around!losing!control!of!business!direction,!culture,!and!ultimately!the!actual!employee,!if!
they!are!allowed!to!work!alongside!employees!from!other!organizations.!
!
Corporations!are!unlikely!to!purchase!coworking!memberships!for!employees!at!this!
point.!An!ultimate!goal!of!this!project!is!to!establish!a!network!of!regional!locations!that!
would!present!employers!with!an!alternative!set!of!workplaces!for!their!employees.!At!this!
point,!it!is!unlikely!that!an!employer!would!subsidize!its!employees!to!work!somewhere!
other!than!their!space!or!their!home.!A!third!space!still!seems!foreign!to!employers!from!a!
permission!basis,!let!alone!on!a!basis!where!the!employer!would!pay!the!way.!
2.5. Scan of Competitive Alternatives

!
Two!central!alternatives!to!the!Workspace!Hub!concept!will!be!independent!coworking!
services!and!business!centres.!!
!
Independent!Coworking!Centres!
!
A!quick!scan!of!coworking!centres!in!the!GTHA!will!show!that!the!overwhelming!majority!
of!coworking!spaces!exist!in!downtown!Toronto.!It!is!a!fairly!simple!process!to!secure!a!
space!and!have!the!entrepreneur!behind!the!coworking!space!work!there!on!a!daily!basis!
and!simply!begin!charging!others!to!use!the!space.!The!barriers!to!entry!are!relatively!low!
for!a!subDstandard!space.!
!
Creating!a!beautiful,!functional!and!technologically!powered!space,!however,!requires!a!
significant!capital!investment.!!Animating!the!community!and!bring!the!collaborative!
benefits!requires!a!further!human!resources!investment!that!often!fails!to!make!financial!
sense.!
! !
15! ! !
!
Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area!
Platform!302! Hamilton!
Longbranch!Coworking! Etobicoke/!Longbranch!
CoWorkative! Richmond!Hill!
!
City!of!Toronto!
Acme!Works! 229!Niagara!Street!
Beach!Business!Hub! 2181!Queen!Street!East!
Bento!Miso! 862!Richmond!Street!West!
Camraderie!Coworking!Inc! 2241!Dundas!Street!West!
CoDLab! 32!Britain!Street!
Co:Work! 703!Bloor!Street!West!
CSI!Annex! 720!Bathurst!Street!
CSI!Regent!Park! 585!Dundas!Street!West!
CSI!Spadina! 215!Spadina!Avenue!
Foundery!! 376!Bathurst!Street!
Locus!Quo! 7!Labatt!Avenue!
Workplace!One!(East)! 341!King!Street!East!
Workplace!One!(West)! 51!Wolseley!Street!
!
To!our!knowledge,!no!coworking!centres!presently!operate!in!the!following!municipalities!
we!are!studying:!Oakville,!Burlington,!Brampton,!Mississauga,!Vaughan,!Markham!&!
Pickering.!The!coworking!centres!that!do!operate!in!the!GTHA!(listed!above)!are!small!and!
limited!in!their!reach,!while!we!should!expect!to!see!others!emerge!over!the!coming!years.!!
!
Regus!Business!Centres!
!
A!service!perhaps!more!familiar!to!those!outside!of!the!city!of!Toronto!is!that!offered!by!
Regus!Business!Centres.!Regus!is!a!multinational!corporation!that!offers!executive!style!
workspaces!to!the!business!community.!In!both!the!suburban!and!City!of!Toronto!
locations,!the!Regus!space!is!modeled!after!a!typical!Class!“A”!office!space!and!it’s!space!is!
composed!mainly!of!private!offices!and!meeting!rooms.!!
!
Regus!Business!Centres:!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area!
Burlington! 460!Brant!Street!
Etobicoke! 10!Four!Seasons!Place!
Markham!–!Trillium!Centre! 675!Cochrane!Drive!
Markham!–!Valleywood! 15!Allstate!Parkway!
Mississauga!–!Airport! 2425!Matheson!Blvd!East!
Mississauga!–!City!Centre! 2!&!4!Robert!Speck!Parkway!
Mississauga!–!Meadowvale! 7111!Syntex!Drive!
Oakville! 1155!North!Service!Road!West!
Scarborough! 10!Milner!Business!Court!
!
Regus!Business!Centres:!City!of!Toronto!
Toronto!–!Bay!Bloor! 1235!Bay!Street!
Toronto!–!Brookfield!Place! 161!Bay!Street!
Toronto!–!Davisville!Centre! 1920!Yonge!Street!
!
Toronto!–!Eaton!Centre! 1!Dundas!Street!West!
Toronto!–!First!Canadian! 100!King!Street!West!
Place!
Toronto!–!King!West! 500!King!Street!West!
Toronto!–!Madison! 4950!Bloor!Street!West!
Toronto!–!North!American! 5700!Yonge!Street!
Centre!
Toronto!–!Parkway!Place! 251!Consumers!Road!
Toronto!–!Sun!Life!! 3250!Bloor!Street!West!
Toronto!–!Yonge!Bloor! 2!Bloor!Street!West!
Toronto!–!Yonge!Richmond! 151!Yonge!Street!
Centre!
!
In!their!suburban!locations,!Regus!have!chosen!to!locate!mainly!in!office!parks,!and!are!not!
presently!operating!in!any!of!the!Mobility!Hub!areas!we!are!focusing!on,!with!the!exception!
of!Mississauga!City!Centre.!While!similar!to!Regus!in!that!we!will!offer!space!to!
accommodate!mobile!workers,!we!feel!that!we!are!targeting!a!very!different!type!of!
individual!and!are!not!trying!to!replicate!an!executive!environment.!!!
Section Summary
!
It!is!clear!to!us!that!there!is!significant!momentum!moving!toward!the!creation!of!
necessary!conditions!for!this!project,!but!perhaps!not!all!elements!are!quite!in!place!just!
yet.!Coworking!as!a!legitimate!enterprise!is!beginning!to!thrive!and!is!becoming!widely!
accepted.!A!move!to!suburban!locations!seems!appropriate!at!this!time,!under!the!correct,!
supportive!conditions.!!
!
Frustrations!around!business!commuting!are!at!an!allDtime!high,!with!no!signs!of!
improving!in!the!near!term.!Meanwhile,!businesses!continue!to!experiment!with!remote!
work!policies!and!reconfigurations!of!their!main!office!space!to!accommodate!flexible!
teams!and!occasional!workers.!More!and!more!employees!will!be!allowed!to!work!
remotely!as!every!year!goes!by,!as!more!companies!transition!to!occasional!or!wideD
ranging!mobile!work!policies.!!
!
It!is!still!early!days!for!business!mobility!policy!however,!and!it!appears!as!though!
employers!will!need!some!time!to!understand!how!best!to!create!and!apply!policies.!The!
pace!of!change!in!the!corporate!enterprise!community!can!be!slow,!and!it!is!our!
observation!that!corporations!are!still!seeing!place!of!work!as!either!at'the'office!or!at'
home.!!
!
While!corporations!have!been!quick!to!realize!the!potential!cost!savings!on!real!estate!that!
are!related!to!converting!standard!office!space!into!hoteling!floors,!they!appear!relatively!
tentative!toward!measuring!the!impacts!of!this!change.!We!suspect!that!over!time,!
problems!may!emerge!among!from!widespread!workDfromDhome!policies.!Specifically,!
employee!isolation!and!a!diminished!creative/productive!output!may!crop!up!during!this!
shift.!Additionally,!managers!may!find!that!the!teleconferencing!capabilities!of!a!home!
computer!or!laptop!may!not!be!sufficient!for!participating!in!highDlevel!interactive!
meetings.!!
!
Finally,!provincial!land!use!policy!is!strongly!moving!toward!creating!dense!mixedDuse!
areas!around!suburban!transit!stations,!however!movement!is!slow!and!requires!time!to!
see!how!development!will!ultimately!take!shape.!(More!on!this!topic!later!in!report.)!
!
17! ! !
Section!Three!!Business!Model!
3. BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS

!
The!process!of!developing!a!robust!business!model!ensures!that!all!angles!of!the!operation!will!
be!considered!in!the!early!stages!of!concept!development,!allowing!discussion!and!
contemplation!around!each!business!consideration.!!
!
The!business!model!design!we!chose!was!developed!through!our!partnership!with!Cisco!
Internet!Business!Solutions!Group.!It!has!been!organized!around!a!platform!originally!
developed!by!Swiss!business!strategist!Alexander!Osterwalder!called!“The!Business!Model!
Canvas”!and!seeks!to!address!the!following!categories:!
!
1. Customer!Segments!
2. Value!Propositions!
3. Channels!
4. Customer!Relationship!
5. Revenue!Streams!
6. Key!Resources!
7. Key!Activities!
8. Key!Partners!
9. Cost!Structure!
3.1. Customer Segments

!
Segmentation!strategies!will!optimize!customer!relationships!and!help!to!achieve!the!
Workspace!Hubs!vision!and!guiding!principles.!!
!
The!following!main!segments!have!been!identified!in!order!to!create!customized!relationship!
strategies!and!service!offerings:!!
!
! Employees!from!businesses,!large!and!small…!“mobile!professionals”!
! Freelancers!(independent!workers,!selfDemployed!professionals)!
! Social!entrepreneurs!
! StartDups!
! Telecommuters!(those!who!work!away!from!the!office!during!normal!business!hours)!
! Traveling/Vacationing!coDworkers!
! Other!(students)!
3.1.1. Mobile & Remote Workers: “Various Shapes and Sizes”

!
It!is!easy!to!use!the!terms!mobile!or!remote!workers!to!represent!a!target!audience!group,!
however!it!is!helpful!to!understand!the!different!characteristics!of!the!many!types!of!workers!
who!would!identify!as!mobile!or!remote.!Some!will!be!target!users,!some!will!not.!(*!=!target!
audience)!
!
1.!OfficeDBased! Mobile!Professionals!*! Employees!away!from!their!
Mobile!Workers!! primary!workplace!20%!or!more!
! of!the!time!(e.g.:!traveling!execs)!
(those!whose! Occasionally!Mobile!*! Employees!away!from!their!
primary!workplace! primary!workplace!less!than!20%!
is!the!office)! of!the!time.!
Mobile!nonDtravellers! Those!workers!who!are!mobile!
within!the!office!or!campus!
!
environment!but!do!not!travel!
outside!of!the!office!or!campus.!
2.!NonDOffice!Based! Mobile!OnDLocation!Workers! Employees!that!work!at!a!specific!
Mobile!Workers! location!but!outside!an!office!
! environment.!Mobile,!but!only!
(workers!who!are! within!a!specific!area!(e.g.:!
mobile!but!are!not! warehouse,!construction)!
in!an!office! Mobile!Field!Workers!*! Typically!field!service!employees!
environment)! (e.g.:!sales,!move!from!location!to!
location)!
3.!HomeDBased! NonDtravelling!Telecommuters! Workers!considered!to!be!mobile!
Mobile!Workers! by!virtue!of!being!telecommuters!
! but!do!not!travel!away!from!their!
(use!their!home!as! home!for!business.!
a!workplace!all!or! Occasionally!Mobile! Telecommuters,!but!not!away!
part!of!the!time)! Telecommuters!*! from!their!office!at!least!20%!of!
the!time.!
Mobile!Professional! Telecommuters!who!also!travel!
Telecommuters!*! away!from!their!homes!or!
corporate!offices!at!least!20%!of!
the!time.!
Occasionally!Mobile!HomeDBased! HomeDbased!income!generating!
Business!Owners!*! business!owners,!without!another!
corporate!HQ.!
Mobile!Professional!HomeDBased! Home!business!owners!whose!
Business!Owners!*! primary!workplace!is!home!and!
who!are!away!from!their!primary!
workplace!at!least!20%!of!the!
time.!
*!=!potential!target!audience!
!
3.1.2. Global Segment Trends

!
“Deskmag”,!a!BerlinDbased!magazine!that!began!publishing!in!2010!dedicated!to!“coworking,!
its!communities!and!its!spaces”,!recently!published!it’s!3rd!Annual!Coworking!Survey,!the!
most!exhaustive!survey!of!its!kind.!It!is!helpful!to!highlight!a!few!of!the!findings!from!this!
survey!as!it!can!provide!insight!into!habits!of!coworking!segments.!!
!
Notes'from'Deskmag'3rd'Annual'Coworking'Survey:'
!
! Freelancers!continue!to!dominate!the!membership!base!of!most!coworking!spaces.!Of!all!
the!segments,!freelancers!also!have!the!lowest!incomes!among!all!members.!Freelancers!
are!also!the!most!loyal!members.!
! An!increasing!percentage!of!the!membership!classifies!itself!as!employees,!numbering!
around!a!quarter!worldwide!and!a!third!in!the!U.S.!
! Approximately!one!in!nine!members!are!entrepreneurs,!running!a!business!with!
employees.!More!teamwork!requires!more!privacy.!
! Entrepreneurs!are!the!longest!serving!members,!but!think!about!changing!their!
workplace!most!often.!
! Entrepreneurs!are!among!the!most!active!members!in!a!coworking!space.!
! Four!out!of!five!entrepreneurs!work!in!fixed!or!flexible!working!teams!(more!than!any!
other!group)!and!therefore!prefer!a!fixed!desk,!more!than!the!other!professional!groups.!
! Employees,!for!instance,!are!members!for!an!average!of!only!seven!months.!Further,!they!
spend!less!time!in!their!coworking!spaces!compared!to!freelancers!and!entrepreneurs,!
so!the!benefits!of!coworking!are!not!(yet)!fully!realized.!
! Employees!also!tend!to!be!quieter!about!coworking,!with!a!cumulative!half!involved!
19! ! !
either!externally!(25%)!or!within!their!coworking!space!(24%).!The!remaining!half!likes!
coworking,!but!simply!prefers!to!concentrate!on!their!work.!
3.2. Value Proposition

!
As!a!value!proposition,!Workspace!Hubs!is!well!positioned!to!take!advantage!of!current!
macro!and!more!micro!trends.!Coworking,!social!entrepreneurship/innovation,!
teleworking/smart!working!are!just!some!of!the!trends!Workspace!Hubs!is!responding!to.!
Value!propositions!tend!to!be!generic!and!are!not!unique!to!each!customer!segment.!A!niche!
focus!on!providing!a!hyperDlocal!communityDfocused!service!is!a!differentiator!from!other!
coworking!startDups.!
!
Value!Proposition!Grid!
!
Users! • less!travel!and/or!fatigue!!
• more!flexibility,!services!and!personal!time!
• access!office!space!despite!home!impediments!
• keeps!home!and!office!separate!
Organizations! • lower!real!estate!and!telework!costs!
(public!and!private)! • better!footprint!and!network!for!telework!
• avoids!teleworker’s!“home!alone!syndrome”!
• more!satisfied!workforce!
• greater!capacity!to!hire!!
Local!(city)!government! • ! reduces!“ghost'town”'effect!during!the!day!
• !!!!!greater!local!attractiveness!for!businesses!
• !!!!!enhanced!local!activity!(restaurants,!stores,!events…)!
• !!!!!!creates!local!jobs!and!taxes!
Ontario!government! • transforms!Ontario’s!traditional!ways!of!working!
• enables!faster!telework!adoption!in!the!province!
• improved!employment!opportunities!and!flexibility!
• reduces!traffic!congestion!and!!CO2!emissions!
• improves!transportation!experience!
!
3.3. Channels
!
Value!propositions!are!delivered!to!customers!through!communication,!distribution,!and!
sales!channels.!In!the!case!of!Workspace!Hubs,!the!focus!will!be!mostly!direct!as!opposed!to!
indirect!channels.!The!Workspace!Hubs!group!will!also!use!existing!communications!
channels!available!through!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation.!!
!
Additionally,!when!evaluating!the!prospect!of!partnership!alliances,!access!to!wider!channels!
will!be!a!frontDofDmind!consideration,!whether!that!comes!in!the!form!of!a!corporate!
sponsorship,!real!estate!alliance,!business!accelerator!partner!or!arrangement!with!local!
municipality.!
3.4. Customer Relationship

!
Customers!and!relationships!with!customers!are!at!the!heart!of!the!Workspace!Hub!business!
model.!Unlike!CSI,!Workspace!Hubs!is!not!looking!to!preDselect!its!members.!To!the!extent!
possible,!customers!should!be!able!to!selfDserve!Workspace!Hubs’!services!(this!will!help!
lower!costs!and!improve!satisfaction!levels);!however,!given!the!importance!of!customers!to!
the!business,!the!level!of!personal!assistance!provided!(e.g.!in!the!form!of!a!community!
!
animator)!should!be!high.!And!while!turnover!at!coworking!locations!is!typically!low,!strong!
personal!assistance!could!separate!Workspace!Hubs!from!competitive!offerings.!
3.5. Revenue Streams

!
Naturally,!the!main!stream!of!revenue!will!be!generated!from!the!sale!of!desk!space!and!a!
direct!relationship!exists!between!the!total!area!of!square!footage!in!any!particular!space!
and!the!revenue!performance!that!that!will!space!will!yield.!Private!offices!are!priced!
separate!from!hot!desks,!which!are!themselves!priced!differently!from!permanent!desks!and!
we!have!studied!extensively!the!appropriate!curation!of!offices!to!hot!desks!to!permanent!
desks!for!various!sizes!of!potential!spaces!in!order!to!achieve!both!a!healthy!mix!of!members!
and!to!ensure!highest!occupancy.!These!models!were!then!used!in!our!revenue!modeling.!
(For!a!more!complete!summary!of!our!revenue!projections,!refer!to!Section!Six!of!this!
report.)!
!
Beyond!the!sale!of!desk!space,!meeting!rooms!will!be!used!to!generate!revenue!for!both!
regular!meetings!as!well!as!larger!training!purposes.!A!goal!of!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!is!
to!have!regular!engagement!with!the!outside!community!and!the!space!would!be!made!
regularly!available!for!outside!rentals,!for!educational!purposes,!community!events,!parties!
and!so!on.!!
!
Finally,!associated!usage!fees!(phones,!photocopies,!mailboxes,!etc)!would!be!a!smaller!
revenue!stream,!with!the!intention!to!keep!emphasis!on!this!category!as!low!as!possible!
(instead!offering!an!attractive!set!of!‘perks’!with!the!monthly!membership!fee).!!
3.6. Key Resources

!
Key!resources!describes!the!most!important!assets!required!to!make!the!business!model!
work.!For!Workspace!Hubs,!key!resources!include:!the!office!manager!(e.g.!personal!
assistance,!strategy,!HR,!finance,!etc.);!marketing/sales;!programme!facilitator/animator;!
customer/stakeholder!relations.!And!while!coworking!provides!affordable!space!to!those!
without,!it!remains!simply!another!physical!location!to!entrepreneurs,!freelancers,!startDups!
and!would!be!teleDcommuters.!Until!the!industry!or!regional!coworking!networks!address!
the!‘virtual’!aspect!of!mobility,!they!will!remain!vulnerable!to!change!(i.e.!a!better!
mousetrap).!
!
The!Workspace!Hubs!project!would!operate!as!a!standDalone!business,!supported!by!the!
following!management!structure:!!
!
! CEO!
! CFO!
! COO!
! Director!of!Marketing!
! Director!of!Leasing!
! Director!of!IT!
! Administrative!Manager!
! Site!Managers!
! Community!Animators!
3.7. Key Activities

!
Key!activities!for!Workspace!Hubs!include:!marketing/sales;!identifying/securing!grants;!
stakeholder!relations!(e.g.!foundations);!maintaining!/!enhancing!Workspace!Hubs’!brand.!
21! ! !
3.7.1. Technological Components

!
! HighDspeed!Internet!connectivity!
! WebDbased!reservation!system!
! Security!and!Wireless!
! Unified!Communications!(UC)!
! Intelligent!Building!Management!
! Physical!security!
! InDpersonal!videoconferencing:!TelePresence!
! Digital!Media!Systems!(DMS)!
3.7.2. Enabling Role of Technology

!
The!appropriate!application!of!technology!will!be!an!important!strategy!for!both!ensuring!
user!comfort!and!productivity!as!well!as!establishing!a!vibrant,!collaborative!community!that!
is!connected!to!each!other!physically!and!digitally.!
!
Category! Future!Tools/Services!
Connectivity!/!Access!and!Security! HighDspeed,!highlyDsecure!internet!access,!UC,!VPN,!
etc…!
Cloud!Technologies! Software!as!a!Service!(SaaS),!Tools!as!a!Service!(TaaS),!
management!software!
Collaboration!Tools! Video/Virtual!Conferencing,!Webex,!ShareFile,!etc…!
Customer!Experience!Tools! Online!booking!tools,!customer!management,!
invoicing,!event!publications!
My!Workspace!Hubs!Portal! WebDbased!applications,!member!profiles,!discussion!
forums,!external!announcements!…!
Measurement!Tools! Satisfaction!levels,!Social!Rate!of!Return!
Advanced!Capabilities! Cloud!Storage!(Data!Center),!“Maker”!Lab!Equipment!
Other! Dialogue!Café,!learning!hubs…!
!
3.8. Key Partners

!
Key!Partners!for!Workspace!Hubs!would!be,!but!is!not!limited!to,!the!following!players:!
Municipalities;!Corporate!Sponsors;!Real!Estate!Oweners/Developers;!Regional!Innovation!
Centres!or!RICs;!Foundations;!other!coworking!organizations.!
3.9. Cost Structure

!
The!cost!structure!for!Workspace!Hubs!is!likely!to!be!quite!similar!to!that!of!CSI.!Major!
expense!items!include!D!building!services!expenses!(rent!costs!and!operations)!and!General!
&!Admin!(G&A)!expenses!(e.g.!salaries).!Many!of!these!cost!items!are!fixed.!
!
!
Section Summary
!
The!Workspace!Hubs!Business!Model!Canvas!
! !
8.!Key! 7.!Key!Activities! 2.!Value!Proposition! 4.!Customer! 1.!Customer!
Partners! ! ! Relationships! Segments!
! Marketing/Sales! Uniqueness:!One!of!the!few! ! !
Municipalities! Obtaining!grants! organizations!of!its!kind!within/across! Personal! Freelancers!
CSI! (gov’t/corporate/! the!GTA!(416/905!regional!play)! Assistance! Entrepreneurs!
Ontario!Network! foundation)! D!focus!on!social!innovation!and! SelfDService! StartDups!!
of!Excellence! Fundraising! community/neighbourhood! ! Corporate/!
(ONE)! ! development! Government!
Other!GTA! 6.!Key!Resources! D!Emphasis!on!hyperDlocal! 3.!Channels! customers!
coworking! ! D!Customer!service! ! (lease!
organizations! Community!(People):! structure)!!
Management!staff! Direct!I!!
Metrolinx! D!!Sense!of!community,!part!of! Local!business!
! Workspace!Hubs!
…! something!special,!and!global!reach! owners!
Future:!Information! and!CSI!locations!
! Space:!Collaborative!working! Mobile!
and!Communications! Indirect!–!partners!
atmosphere;! workers!
Technology!Services! !
reliable,!quiet,!and!affordable!place! Satellite!office!
Platform!
to!!work! workers!
!
Full!Service:!coworking!to!acceleration! !
!
9.!Cost!Structure! 5.!Revenue!Streams!
' !
Higher'costs'of'customer'acquisitions' Office/desk!and!other!usage!fees!(85%)!
People,!Business!Overhead,!Lease!Costs! Some!other!revenues!(15%)!…!new!lease!form!
! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
23! ! !
Section!Four!!Communications!and!Brand!Strategy!
4. COMMUNICATIONS AND BRAND STRATEGY

!
Building!off!the!business!model!outcomes,!we!set!out!to!define!specific!communications!
approaches!as!well!as!a!brand!for!the!proposed!Workspace!Hubs!venture.!We!collaborated!with!
TorontoDbased!studio!function!inc.!for!their!expertise!and!the!core!outcomes!of!our!work!with!
them!is!summarized!below.!
4.1. Communications Strategy

!
Identification!of!Different!Audiences!
!
Through!examination!of!the!addressees!we!feel!the!following!groups!represent!the!target!
audiences!for!the!Workspace!Hubs!messaging!strategy.!Effective!communication!requires!
brand!messages!be!delivered!to!each!audience!in!varying!forms!and!degrees.!
Partner!Group! Macro!Group! Micro!Group!

investors! institutional!/! individual!freelancers!/!
corporate!buyers! entrepreneurs!
service!providers! key!decision!makers! informationDbased!

commuters!
municipalities/cities! system!controllers! small!businesses!
! cultural!architects! !
!
Pairing!Messages!with!Audiences!
To!speak!most!effectively!to!the!intended!audience!it!is!important!to!identify!which!messages!
would!best!resonate!with!the!members!of!that!audience.!We’ve!made!the!following!
associations:!partner,!macro!and!micro!audiences.!
4.1.1. Messages for the Partner Audience

!
The!culture!of!work!is! ! present!a!broader!vision!of!the!future!of!work!as!a!
changing/has!changed! culture!!!
! pitching!a!vision!for!21st!century!workplaces!!!
! describe!Hubs’!desire!to!be!ahead!of!the!curve!!
! provide!infrastructure!for!the!new!paradigm!before!it!
itself!knows!what!it!needs!!
! when!small!and!large!businesses!are!ready!to!make!
the!transition,!the!system!is!already!in!place!to!
accommodate!their!needs!
Community!is!important!to! ! there!is!great!value!in!enabling!larger!businesses!to!
people,!and!good!for! take!advantage!of!shared!workspaces,!both!as!a!means!
business! of!facilitating!innovative!solutions!and!perpetuating!
employee!happiness!
!
Coworking!has!grown! ! like!the!internet,!tablets!and!mobile!devices,!
400%!in!the!past!2!years! coworking!is!more!than!a!trend!–!it’s!the!emergence!of!
alone! a!new!culture!/!market!that!will!only!get!larger!in!the!
years!to!come!
Regional!access!is!what! ! operating!on!the!next!order!of!magnitude!(a!space!
differentiates!Workspace! with!few!players),!offering!networked!coverage!for!the!
Hubs!from!competitors! GTHA!
! coworking!spaces!that!cater!to!enterprise!business!is!a!
massive,!untapped!market!
4.1.2. Messages for the Macro Audience

!
Talent!Retention! ! enable!businesses!to!offer!the!perks!only!found!at!the!
world’s!leading!companies!!
! convenient!locations!/!allow!employees!to!work!from!
their!own!neighborhoods!!
! reduced!commutes,!reduced!weekly!trips!to!HQ!!
! progressive,!antiDcubicle,!attractive!and!inspiring!
working!environments!
! positive!effect!on!company!culture!/!corporate!morale!!
! happy!workers!stick!around!(good!talent!has!demands!
and!know!how!they!want!to!work)!
More!innovative! ! having!access!to!contemporary!workspace!
teams/solutions! environments!means!having!access!to!innovation,!
through!diverse!perspectives!and!organic!problemD
solving!
More!productivity! ! less!time!wasted!on!unproductive!systems!(commutes,!
etc.)!!
! happy!workers!are!more!productive,!bottom!line!
results!
CostDeffective! ! no!need!for!oversized!HQs!(commercial!real!estate,!
10Dstories!with!multiple!parking!levels,!etc.)!
! lower!rates!of!employee!turnover!
Regional!access! ! tap!into!the!power!of!a!networked!approach!to!shared!
workspace!!
! support!a!large!number!of!your!employees!to!
maximize!the!benefits!of!working!in!these!spaces!
Environmental! ! satisfies!a!commitment!that!enterprise!has!to!have!
benefits/corporate! environmental!initiatives!/!mandates!!
responsibility! ! direct,!quantifiable,!positive!impact!on!congestion!and!
air!quality!on!a!large!scale!!
! something!to!be!proud!of!as!a!corporation!internally!
and!publicly!/!good!press!
25! ! !
Section!Four!!Communications!and!Brand!Strategy!
4.1.3. Messages for the Micro Audience

!
Live!your!values,!24/7! ! hubs!enables!you!to!lead!the!lifestyle!you!want!to!live!
! happiness!through!this!new!way!of!working!
! engaging!in!your!local!community!/!being!immersed!in!
things!that!matter!to!you!!
! making!an!environmental!and!social!impact!on!a!
personal!level!
A!social/community!hub! ! freelancers,!solo!entrepreneurs,!startups!want!/!need!
spaces!to!work!/!be!around!other!likeDminded!people!
working!in!the!knowledge!field!
! access!to!the!community!helps!people!solve!problems!
creatively,!grow!their!businesses,!network!effectively,!
accelerate!collaborative!serendipity,!etc.!
! fresh,!creative,!fun!workspaces!and!people!to!inspire!
your!best!work!
Social!spaces!catalyze! ! sharing!challenges!and!organically!brainstorming!with!
innovation! others!for!external!input!adds!value!to!any!project!/!
stronger!solutions!in!the!end!
! inspiration!through!collaboration,!diverse!
perspectives!
WellDdesigned,!wellD ! addressing!physical!needs!of!running!a!small!business!
stocked!spaces! professionally!
(professional! ! taking!the!headache!out!of!operations;!no!hassles!with!
infrastructure)! internet!connections,!other!!office!amenities!!
! innovating!office!culture!/!providing!a!team!dynamic!
to!people!that!might!otherwise!!work!in!isolation!!
! lets!people!focus!on!what!matters:!running!their!
business!
4.2. Branding
!
What’s!in!a!name?!
!
The!right!name!is!timeless,!tireless,!easy!to!say!and!remember;!it!stands!for!something,!and!
facilitates!brand!extensions.!Its!sound!has!rhythm.!It!looks!great!in!the!text!of!an!email!and!in!
a!logo.!A!wellDchosen!name!is!an!essential!brand!asset!as!well!as!a!24/7!workhorse.!
Chosen!Naming!Concept!
!
Fabric!
!
The!meaning!of!fabric!is!“a!cloth!made!by!weaving,!knitting,!or!felting!fibers”,!and!to!our!
minds!paints!a!lovely!poetic!picture!of!the!organization’s!goals!and!offerings.!
!
!
The!word!itself!is!also!used!to!describe!a!framework;!a!structure:!the!fabric!of!society.!Using!
a!word!that!offers!a!departure!from!the!expected!infuses!the!name!with!metaphoric!interest,!
opens!the!imagination,!and!to!us,!exemplifies!creativity!and!innovation.!
Brand!Identity!Examples!
!
!
27! ! !
Section!Five!!Location!Profiles!
5. LOCATION PROFILES
5.1. Regional Overview & Policy Framework
5.1.1. Places to Grow
!
The!Ontario!Government’s!Places'to'Grow!legislation!(2006)!forms!the!basis!and!starting!
point!for!the!strategic!location!analysis!of!the!Workspace!Hubs!project.!The!time!horizon!for!
this!project!would!be!considerable!and!as!such,!care!must!be!given!to!choosing!locations!that!
going!to!serve!as!future!focalDpoints!of!suburban!development!and!culture.!
As!a!strategy!to!combat!urban!sprawl,!the!Ontario!Growth!Secretariat!set!out!with!Places'to'
Grow!to!create!development!conditions!that!would!encourage!greater!densification!around!
certain!identified!strategic!locations!throughout!the!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area!
(GTHA).!With!regional!population!expected!to!hit!8.6!million!by!2031,!the!resulting!
legislation!identified!twentyDfive!Urban!Growth!Centres!(UGCs)!that!were!chosen!based!on!
their!existing!conditions!of!suburban!centrality!combined!with!future!potential!of!increased!
density!through!transportation!planning.!These!UGCs!represented!the!first!filter!in!our!
location!analysis.!
!
! Urban!Growth!Centres!of!the!GTHA.!From!Places'to'Grow!(2006).!
!
!
!
The!Importance!of!Density!
Our!vision!for!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!is!to!locate!in!areas!where!there!exists!a!certain!
amount!of!planned!density!that!will!allow!for!community!networks!to!take!shape.!We!believe!
that!increased!density!in!otherwise!lowDdense!settings!will!help!to!transform!suburban!
landscapes!from!a!carDdependent!environment!to!one!that!encourages!active!transportation!
and!will!enable!more!grassroots!community!services!to!bloom.!!
The!Places!to!Grow!Act!sets!out!specific!targets!for!its!Urban!Growth!Centres,!tying!certain!
residential!and!employment!goals!to!zoning!and!land!use!decisions.!These!density!targets!
help!to!inform!our!strategic!location!selection!criteria,!as!we!can!begin!to!envision!the!type!of!
growth!expected!in!the!areas!we!are!studying.!!
!
!
! Illustration!of!residents!and!jobs!density!typologies.!From!Places'
to'Grow!(Province!of!Ontario,!2006).!
!
29! ! !
2031!Minimum!Gross!Density!Targets!for!Urban!Growth!Centres!
!
400!people!&!jobs!combined! 200!people!&!jobs! 150!people!&!jobs!
per!hectare! combined!per!hectare! combined!per!hectare!
• Downtown!Toronto! • Downtown!Brampton! • Downtown!Barrie!
• Etobicoke!Centre! • Downtown!Burlington! • Downtown!Brantford!
• North!York!Centre! • Downtown!Hamilton! • Downtown!Cambridge!
• Scarborough!Centre! • Downtown!Kitchener! • Downtown!Guelph!
• YongeDEglinton!Centre! • Uptown!Waterloo! • Downtown!
! • Downtown!Milton! Peterborough!
• Markham!Centre! • Downtown!St.!
• Mississauga!City!Centre! Catharines!
• Newmarket!Centre! !
• Midtown!Oakville!
• Downtown!Oshawa!
• Downtown!Pickering!
• Richmond!
Hill/Langstaff!Gateway!
• Vaughan!Corporate!
Centre!
!
!
5.1.2. The Big Move & “Mobility Hubs”

!
Using!the!Places'to'Grow!Act!as!its!basis,!the!Greater!Toronto!Transportation!Authority!
(established!by!the!Ontario!Government!in!2006!and!renamed!Metrolinx!in!2008)!drafted!a!
major!regional!transportation!plan!for!the!GTHA,!named!The'Big'Move:'Transforming'
Transportation'in'the'Greater'Toronto'and'Hamilton'Area,!released!in!November!2008.!
Importantly,!this!document!identified!significant!existing!and!future!transportation!nodes!
within!the!GTHA!that!could!serve!as!future!hubs!within!the!regional!system.!!
The!strategic!document!borrowed!from!Places'to'Grow!by!taking!already!approved!
intensification!strategies!around!the!UGCs,!and!proposed!transitDbased!infrastructural!
commitments!around!those!UGCs!as!a!way!of!evolving!the!transportation!network!of!the!
GTHA.!The!vital!outcome!of!the!Big!Move!document!is!the!identification!of!a!series!of!
identified!Mobility!Hubs,!which!Metrolinx!describes!as:!“places!of!connectivity!between!
regional!and!rapid!transit!services,!where!different!modes!of!transportation!come!together!
seamlessly.!They!have,!or!are!planned!to!have!an!attractive,!intensive!concentration!of!
employment,!living,!shopping!and!enjoyment!around!a!major!transit!station.”!
As!growth!continues!throughout!the!GTHA,!there!is!ongoing!commitment!at!multiple!levels!
of!government!to!follow!through!with!the!strategies!laid!out!in!the!Big!Move!document.!
Mobility!Hubs!are!the!key!future!connection!points!within!our!region!and!allow!us!to!identify!
potential!future!locations!for!Workspace!Hubs.!
! !
!
Planned!Mobility!Hubs!of!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area!
!
!
! Mobility!Hubs!of!the!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!Area.!From!The!Big!Move!(Metrolinx,!2008).!
!
!
5.2. Shortlisting: Establishing Shortlist of Key GTHA Workspace Hub Sites

!
From!the!list!of!twentyDfive!Urban!Growth!Centres!(and!even!more!Mobility!Hubs)!we!set!out!
parameters!for!establishing!our!shortlist!of!examined!locations.!Specifically,!the!locations!
needed!to!be!considered!Anchor!Moblity!Hubs!by!Metrolinx!(those!are!Hubs!deemed!to!have!
“strategic!importance”!due!to!their!modal!interchange!dimensions!and!proximity!to!existing!
31! ! !
residential)!and!located!close!enough!to!Toronto,!so!as!to!facilitate!a!potential!operational!
network.!We!felt!that!while!other!locations!not!included!on!this!list!could!conceivably!
become!good!potential!fits!for!the!Workplace!Hubs!project!(e.g.:!Guelph,!KitchenerDWaterloo,!
or!even!the!area!of!WestonDMount!Dennis),!the!starting!point!needed!to!be!rooted!in!the!
central!Mobility!Hub!system.!!
!
We!therefore,!narrowed!our!list!down!to!the!following!ten!locations:!!
!
!
!
It!is!useful!to!note!that!each!of!these!locations!serves!several!modes!of!transportation!and!all!
are!either!existing!or!planned!downtowns!or!town!centres.!Additionally,!for!most!locations,!
growth!forecasts!are!high!and!many!house!existing!institutions!(colleges!or!universities,!for!
instance)!or!destinations!(major!retail!or!sporting!facility,!as!examples).!!
!
Some!on!the!list,!are!situated!in!urban!settings!–!Hamilton!and!Brampton!–!while!others!–!
Vaughan,!Markham,!Oakville!–!exist!more!within!more!emerging!settings.!The!list!represents!
a!diverse!mix!of!typologies!to!consider.!!
!
5.3. Individual Hub Location Analysis

!
The!following!section!will!provide!detailed!analysis!of!each!shortDlisted!hub!location.!
5.3.5. Downtown Hamilton

!
!
!
!
Locational!Advantages!Statement!!
(from'DTZ'Barnicke)'
!
Hamilton’s!location!at!the!western!end!of!
Ontario’s!Golden!Horseshoe!provides!businesses!
with!easy!access!to!a!network!of!highways,!
international!rail!lines,!and!the!Port!of!Hamilton.!
Local!air!connections!to!international!
destinations!are!close!by!with!John!C.!Munro!
Hamilton!International!Airport,!Lester!B.!Pearson!
International!Airport!in!Toronto!and!Buffalo!
Niagara!International!Airport!just!across!the!
border!in!New!York!State.!The!Queen!Elizabeth!
Way!provides!ready!access!to!both!the!Greater!
Toronto!Area,!a!regional!market!of!over!six!
million!people,!and!Highway!401.!Highway!401!is!
the!Canadian!link!to!the!NAFTA!super!highway!
connecting!Ontario!with!the!ID75!serving!
Michigan,!Ohio,!Kentucky,!Tennessee,!Georgia!and!
Florida!and!the!ID90!connections!to!the!eastern!
seaboard.!With!the!U.!S.!border!only!an!hour’s!
drive!away,!Hamilton!is!within!half!a!day’s!drive!
of!key!major!urban!markets!in!the!United!States.!
Demographic!Summary!(2011!census)!
!
Total!Population! 519,949!
Median!age!of!population! 41!
Total!private!dwellings! 214,542!
Average!household!income!(2006)! $70,025!
2006!to!2011!population!change!! 3%!
!
Largest!Employers!(Office!Users)!!
!
1! Hamilton!Police!Services!
2! Media!Express!
3! Horizon!Utilities!Corporation!
4! Population!Health!Research!Institute!
5! Rygiel!Supports!Community!Living!
6! SP!Data!Capital!Corporation!
7! Community!Care!Access!Centre!
8! Documented!Research!Services!Inc.!
9! JNE!Consulting!Ltd.!
10! City!of!Hamilton!
!
!
!
33! ! !
Commercial!Office!Rental!Rates!(November!2012)!
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!!
($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($15.52((
($11.62(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
Avg.!Asking!Net!Rent!psf! Avg.!Addi:onal!Rent!psf!
!! !
' Source:'DTZ'Barnicke'
!
Mobility!Hub!Status!
!
Downtown!Hamilton!is!identified!as!an!Anchor!Mobility!Hub,!and!plays!an!important!role!in!
its!location!at!the!Western!end!of!the!GTHA!transportation!region.!Downtown!Hamilton!
includes!GO!train!(Lakeshore!West!Line)!and!bus!network,!local!bus!services!and!is!planned!
to!integrate!twoDway!allDday!train!service!as!well!as!a!local!cityDwide!LRT!system!(still!in!the!
preDdevelopment!stages).!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
While!other!Hub!locations!are!in!various!stages!of!planning!and!visioning,!the!Hamilton!
Mobility!Hub!is!already!operating!in!a!mixedDuse!urban!environment,!a!setting!that!would!be!
very!attractive!to!mobile!workers,!freelancers!and!entrepreneurs!to!work!from.!
!
While!the!local!economy!in!downtown!Hamilton!has!been!depressed!for!several!years,!with!
little!commercial!development!activity,!signs!of!an!urban!renewal!are!widely!evident,!
especially!in!the!area!around!James!Street!North.!Here,!a!strong!local!community!has!
emerged,!centered!on!the!arts!and!regular!events!such!as!the!monthly!James!Street!North!Art!
Crawl!lead!to!the!recent!opening!of!a!satellite!location!of!the!Hamilton!Art!Gallery.!
!
Meanwhile,!the!city!is!undertaking!a!series!of!investments!in!the!downtown,!from!the!cityD
led!purchase!and!restoration!of!the!Lister!Block!to!major!streetscape!improvements.!Our!
team!has!been!engaged!with!the!City’s!Downtown!Economic!Development!office!and!there!is!
strong!interest!in!developing!the!necessary!partnerships!for!a!Workspace!Hub!location!here.!
!
Hamilton!is!home!to!two!large!postDsecondary!institutions!(McMaster!University!and!
Mohawk!College)!that!could!be!potential!partners!for!new!business!incubation.!Additionally,!
Innovation!Factory,!a!member!of!the!ONE!Network’s!Centre’s!of!Excellence,!is!actively!
looking!to!expand!its!reach!and!could!represent!a!possible!alignment!opportunity.!
!
Overall!Suitability!For!Project!!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!Immediate!
!
5.3.5. Midtown Oakville

!
!
!
!
Located!at!the!epicentre!of!Canada’s!Golden!
Horseshoe,!Oakville,!a!dynamic!community!of!
170,000!residents,!is!well!within!reach!of!major!
U.S.!capital!markets!and!nearly!seven!million!
potential!consumers!in!southern!Ontario.!Oakville!
is!one!of!North!America’s!fastest!growing!markets!
with!approximately!600!ha!(1450!acres)!of!
primeDlocation!employment!land!scheduled!to!be!
serviced!for!development.!Oakville’s!focus!on!
growing!clusters!in!knowledgeDbased!industries!
is!coupled!with!one!of!the!lowest!nonDresidential!
property!tax!rates!in!the!GTA.!Oakville!has!
become!the!location!of!choice!for!over!300!
national!and!international!corporate!
headquarters!that!has!taken!advantage!of!the!
town’s!talented!workforce,!advanced!training!
opportunities!and!premium!location!to!build!
competitive!advantage.!Oakville’s!industry!
strengths!include!Advanced!Manufacturing,!
Professional,!Scientific!and!Technical!Services,!
Life!Sciences!and!Digital!Media!and!Animation.!
!
Median!age!of!population! 40.2!
2006!to!2011!population!change!! 10.2%!
!
Largest!Employers!(Office!Users)!
!
1! Ford!Motor!Company!of!Canada!Ltd.!
2! Goodrich!Landing!Gear!
3! Siemens!Canada!
4! Tim!Hortons!Inc.!
5! AMEC!
6! GE!Water!and!Process!Technologie!
7! Dufferin!Construction!
8! Mattamy!Homes!Ltd.!
9! SNC!Lavalin!Nuclear!Inc.!
10! Pelmorex!Media!Inc.!
35! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
Hamilton! Oakville! Burlington! Brampton! Mississauga! Vaughan! Markham!&! Pickering! Toronto! GTA!Average!
City!Centre! Richmond!Hill! (Core)!
!
!
!
The!Midtown!Oakville!Mobility!Hub!appears!to!be!one!of!the!priority!Anchor!Hub!locations!
that!Metrolinx!is!fastDtracking!for!development,!although!the!time!horizon!to!achieve!a!
mature!and!diverse!hub!could!be!lengthy,!as!it!transfers!from!a!environment!presently!
dominated!by!surface!level!parking!and!minimal!station!amenities.!
!
Metrolinx!recently!completed!a!detailed!study!on!the!Midtown!Oakville!Mobility!Hub!(one!of!
four!such!studies!completed!–!Cooksville!GO,!Dundas!WestDBloor!&!Port!Credit!GO!being!the!
other!three),!which!laid!out!the!strategic!vision!for!the!area!around!the!Oakville!GO!Station!
and!aligns!with!Oakville’s!2011!Official!Plan.!The!vision!calls!for!the!conversion!of!publiclyD
owned!lands!around!the!GO!station,!the!majority!of!which!is!owned!by!Metrolinx,!into!a!mix!
of!residential,!commercial!and!retail!uses.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
Although!the!time!horizon!could!be!over!several!years!before!a!location!could!be!active,!
Midtown!Oakville!represents!a!very!good!opportunity!to!be!involved!with!the!strategic!
development!of!the!Mobility!Hub!from!the!early!stages.!One!of!the!guiding!principles!of!the!
Workspace!Hubs!project!is!to!be!active!placeDmakers!in!any!location!we!choose!to!operate!
within,!and!early!involvement!could!allow!for!the!Workspace!Hub!to!be!a!leader!in!the!
community!activation!and!development!of!local!culture.!!
!
There!exists!a!strong!coordination!between!the!City!of!Oakville!and!Metrolinx!to!execute!the!
Mobility!Hub!development!plans,!with!proposed!new!pedestrian,!bike!and!bus!connections.!
!
The!Metrolinx!report!cites!strong!growth!in!the!office!sector!in!Oakville!(150,000!new!office!
space!in!2012)!and!the!recent!decision!by!Rockstar!Games!(creators!of!the!popular!Grand!
Theft!Auto!series!of!video!games!and!others)!to!locate!its!flagship!Canadian!office!in!Oakville!
in!a!positive!indication!of!a!growing!highDtech!sector!in!the!area!that!would!have!natural!
synergies!with!the!services!offered!by!Workspace!Hubs.!
!
Population!levels!are!high,!as!are!household!incomes,!indicating!a!strong!potential!local!userD
base.!Present!commercial!office!rents!are!at!the!GTA!average.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!MidDTerm!(4D6!years)!
!
5.3.5. Downtown Burlington

!
!
!
!
Burlington!is!recognized!as!one!of!Canada’s!most!
dynamic!cities.!That!is!why!MoneySense!
Magazine!ranked!Burlington!as!the!best!city!to!
live!in!the!Greater!Toronto!Area!and!the!second!
best!city!in!Canada.!Burlington!provides!a!unique!
set!of!opportunities!for!new!investors!and!
company!expansion.!It!is!central!to!the!Golden!
Horseshoe,!Canada’s!largest!market.!Located!
along!the!QEW,!Burlington!has!direct!highway!
links!to!major!U.S.!markets!such!as!Michigan!and!
New!York!and!has!three!international!airports,!
all!within!a!oneDhour!drive.!A!unique!
concentration!of!diverse,!knowledgeDbased!
industries!creates!maximum!opportunity!for!
companies!to!source!new!markets.!Burlington!
offers!a!high!level!of!amenities,!where!executives!
and!employees!enjoy!a!healthy!lifeDwork!balance.!
Overall,!Burlington!has!a!strong!spirit!of!
collaboration!between!local!companies!and!is!a!
city!that!fosters!partnerships!to!improve!its!
longDterm!economic!prosperity.!
!
!
!
1! Cogent!Power!
2! Comtek!Advanced!Structures!Ltd.!
3! Boehringer!Ingelheim!(Canada)!
4! Byrne!Engineering!
5! CIT!Financial!Ltd.!
6! John!Deere!Credit!Inc.!
7! Fisher!Ludlow!
8! FedEx!
9! Purolator!Courier!Ltd.!
10! Cogeco!Cable!Canada!
37! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
Presently,!the!Burlington!Mobility!Hub!operates!as!GO!Burlington!Station!(with!bus!and!train!
service!on!the!Lakeshore!West!line)!with!connections!to!local!Burlington!Transit!(bus)!and!
nearby!Aldershot!Station!(VIA!Rail).!Development!objectives!in!the!Big!Move!indicate!a!more!
comprehensive!integration!between!GO!and!Burlington!Transit!(including!local!Rapid!
Transit)!as!well!as!twoDway!allDday!express!service!on!the!Lakeshore!West!GO!Train!Line.!!
!
The!Burlington!Mobility!Hub!is!identified!as!a!Gateway!Hub!and!does!not!appear!to!be!earD
marked!for!nearDterm!redevelopment.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
Although!Burlington!has!appealing!commercial!rent!levels!along!with!high!numbers!of!
regular!commuters!–!Metrolinx!estimate!over!2,500!people!start!their!commute!from!this!
station!each!morning!–!the!locational!setting!of!the!Mobility!Hub!station!in!relation!to!the!
more!appealing!waterfront!district!does!not!appear!to!support!a!Workspace!Hub!proposal.!!
!
The!area!around!the!Hub!location!–!to!the!south!of!the!Queen!Elizabeth!Expressway!–!is!
mostly!developed!(and!mostly!lowDdense!residential)!with!little!room!for!expansive!
development!projects!in!the!immediate!catchment!area!of!the!station.!It!is!expected!that!
development!of!this!Mobility!Hub!will!likely!be!focused!on!serving!the!functions!of!integrated!
transit!mobility,!without!much!emphasis!on!ancillary!development!or!services,!such!as!a!
commercial!office!district.!
!
The!Urban!Growth!Centre!district!identified!in!Place'To'Grow,!is!centered!around!the!
waterfront!area!which!would!have!strong!community!and!recreational!facilities!for!
Workspace!Hub!users,!and!could!be!a!potential!locational!choice,!but!would!be!significantly!
removed!from!station!access!and!would!not!fit!with!the!connected!mandate!of!the!project.!!
!
With!nearby!Oakville!and!Hamilton!as!more!logical!locations,!Burlington’s!suitability!is!
likewise!reduced.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!Low/None!
!
5.3.4 Downtown Brampton

!
!
!
!
Brampton’s!“Open!for!Business”!attitude!and!
dedication!to!supporting!the!innovation!and!
strategic!growth!of!the!business!community!has!
helped!to!position!the!City!as!a!premier!business!
location.!!
Brampton!is!the!9th!largest!city!in!Canada!and!is!
among!the!top!10!most!active!construction!
markets!in!the!country.!Adding!to!this,!Brampton!
is!strategically!located!within!the!Greater!
Toronto!Area!–!Canada’s!economic!engine.!!
Brampton’s!highly!diversified!local!economy!is!
well!positioned!to!not!only!remain!steadfast!in!
the!face!of!challenging!economic!times,!but!is!on!
a!strong!course!towards!attracting!additional!
employment!and!industrialDcommercial!activity!
in!the!years!ahead.!
!
!
!
1! Rogers!Communications!Inc.!
2! Loblaw!Companies!Ltd.!(Head!Office)!
3! GammaDDynacare!Medical!Laboratories!
4! MDA!Space!Missions!
5! Waste!Management!of!Canada!Corporation!
6! Zellers!Inc./Target!(Head!Office)!
7! EXP!Global!Inc.!
8! Entertainment!One!Ltd.!
9! Peel!Regional!Police!Services!
10! City!of!Brampton!
!
!
!
39! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
With!VIA!Rail!and!GO!(Kitchener!Line)!already!integrated,!the!Downtown!Brampton!Transit!
Terminal!is!an!important!Anchor!Hub!in!the!Mobility!Hub!network.!The!Downtown!
Brampton!Mobility!Hub!location!is!slated!to!be!the!northern!terminus!of!the!proposed!
HurontarioDMain!LRT!project,!a!public!transit!initiative!that!will!link!Brampton!with!Port!
Credit,!along!Main!and!Hurontario!Streets,!passing!through!Mississauga!City!Centre.!!
!
Situated!in!a!downtown!urban!location,!the!Downtown!Brampton!Mobility!Hub!already!
benefits!from!the!kind!of!diverse!landDuses!that!the!more!suburban!locations!are!attempting!
to!develop!towards.!MetrolinxDled!development!will!likely!focus!on!stationDupgrades.!
!
Project!Statement!
!
Downtown!Brampton,!along!with!Downtown!Hamilton,!are!two!Mobility!Hubs!that!are!set!
within!preexisting!urban!areas,!making!them!immediately!attractive!as!potential!locations!
for!a!Workspace!Hub.!Based!on!CSI’s!experience!operating!the!three!Toronto!locations,!the!
mix!of!residential,!retail,!commercial,!cultural!and!recreational!activities!that!are!
immediately!accessible!from!a!Downtown!Brampton!location!is!a!strong!element!of!
attraction!for!potential!users!of!coworking!facilities.!!
!
In!recent!decades,!Brampton!has!taken!on!the!profile!of!a!carDdominated!residential!suburb.!
Jobs!have!concentrated!in!the!lightDheavy!industrial!districts!around!HWY!410,!and!the!
historic!downtown!has!been!neglected.!Indeed,!the!popularity!of!Bramalea!City!Centre!since!
its!1973!opening!has!taken!much!of!the!retail!and!recreational!interest!with!it,!stunting!the!
downtown’s!development.!!
!
In!the!past!few!years!however,!there!has!been!a!noticeable!refocusing!of!the!developmental!
interest!of!the!City!of!Brampton!onto!the!downtown,!with!several!new!condo!projects!
underway!as!well!as!a!new!cultural!district!around!the!cityDbuilt!Rose!Theatre.!Commercial!
renewal!downtown!has!been!slow!but!is!developing.!!
!
Our!team!has!engaged!with!Downtown!Business!Development!officials!who!are!keen!to!see!a!
Workspace!Hub!project!succeed,!so!partnerships!and!financial!support!is!certainly!possible.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!Immediate!
!
5.3.5. Mississauga City Centre

!
!
!
!
As!Canada’s!sixth!largest!city,!Mississauga!is!a!
diverse!and!progressive!municipality.!With!
culturally!rich!and!diverse!communities,!the!City!
has!been!recognized!as!Canada’s!safest!city!for!
the!10th!year!in!a!row!and!offers!a!variety!of!
quality!housing,!schools,!healthcare!facilities!and!
more!than!480!parks!and!trails.!Mississauga!is!
home!to!the!University!of!Toronto,!Mississauga!
Campus!and!is!the!new!home!of!Sheridan!
Institute!of!Technology!and!Advanced!Learning!
Hazel!McCallion!Campus.!The!City!also!is!within!
commuting!distance!to!an!additional!10!
universities!and!11!colleges.!Mississauga!is!
centrally!located!with!easy!access!to!global!
markets!D!a!90!minute!drive!from!the!U.S.!border!
and!within!a!day’s!drive!is!North!America’s!
richest!markets!with!access!to!164!million!
consumers.!Canada’s!largest!international!airport!
is!located!right!in!Mississauga,!with!nonDstop!
services!to!180!destinations!in!60!countries!
across!the!globe.!
!
!
!
1! HewlettDPackard!(Canada)!Company!
2! Sage!Software!Canada!Ltd.!
3! Symcor!Inc.!
4! Bell!Mobility!Inc.!
5! TD!Financial!Group!
6! Maple!Leaf!Consumer!Foods!
7! Baxter!Corporation!
8! Trapeze!Software!Inc.!
9! Oracle!Corporation!Canada!
10! Citibank!
!
41! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
The!Mississauga!City!Centre!Mobility!Hub!is!located!on!the!north!end!of!Square!One!
shopping!centre!and!is!identified!as!an!Anchor!Hub.!This!location!includes!the!Square!One!
Bus!Terminal!with!future!plans!for!to!involve!integration!with!the!planned!MainDHurontario!
LRT.!!
!
Nearby,!the!Cooksville!GO!Station!(which!sits!on!the!Milton!GO!train!line,!will!be!connected!
to!Mississauga!City!Centre!via!the!eventual!LRT!and!is!a!Gateway!Hub)!is!being!considered!
for!broad!redevelopment,!including!the!addition!of!midrise!residential!and!commercial!
buildings!around!the!Hub!station.!
!!
Project!Statement!
!
As!the!City!of!Mississauga!attempts!to!create!a!new!downtown!district!grounded!in!
sustainable!living,!there!is!an!emerging!–!albeit!farDterm!–!opportunity!for!a!Workspace!Hub!
project!to!enrich!(and!benefit!from)!this!transformation.!!
!
Mississauga!has!begun!work!on!one!of!the!largest!urban!development!projects!of!its!kind!in!
the!GTHA,!which!if!executed!as!conceived,!will!greatly!redefine!the!identity!of!Mississauga!as!
an!autoDdependent!city.!The!master!plan!for!the!project!–!entitled!Mississauga!Downtown!21!
–!focuses!on!a!major!reDdesign!of!the!area!around!Square!One!shopping!centre.!This!redesign!
shifts!the!focus!toward!urban!sustainability!along!with!active!and!public!transportation,!
while!setting!out!to!build!enhanced!street!culture!and!a!sense!of!place.!With!integrated!
transit!being!a!central!part!of!the!transformation,!there!is!a!strong!strategic!fit!between!
Mississauga’s!objectives!and!the!principles!of!the!Workspace!Hubs!project.!
!
Mississauga!is!Canada’s!sixth!largest!city!and!boasts!an!impressive!and!diverse!list!of!multiD
national!offices.!Notably,!the!software!and!high!tech!cluster!that!exists!in!Mississauga!is!a!
complimentary!match!to!our!project.!The!newly!opened!Sheridan!Business!School!campus!
represents!a!logical!partnership!opportunity!for!business!incubation.!
!
Unfortunately,!it!is!still!very!early!in!the!conversion!to!this!new!urban!identity,!but!
Mississauga!City!Centre!could!ultimately!be!a!very!intriguing!future!location.!!
!
(None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!MidDTerm!(4D6!years)!
!
5.3.6. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

!
!
!
!
Vaughan!has!a!strong!and!diverse!economy!that!
welcomes!worldwide!investment.!The!City!of!
Vaughan!remains!one!of!Canada’s!fastest!growing!
cities.!Vaughan!is!275!km2!in!area,!predicted!to!
grow!to!416,600!residents!and!266,100!jobs!by!
2031.!Vaughan!is!a!multicultural!city!with!the!
growing!communities!of!Concord,!Kleinburg,!
Maple,!Thornhill!and!Woodbridge.!Like!its!people,!
the!economy!of!Vaughan!is!diverse,!providing!
stability!through!all!economic!cycles.!Vaughan!is!
also!an!entrepreneurial!community.!Small!
businesses!of!twenty!or!less!employees!account!
for!the!majority!of!all!business!activity!in!
Vaughan.!More!than!9,600!businesses!are!located!
in!Vaughan,!employing!more!than!160,000!
people.!Manufacturing,!construction!and!
wholesale!are!the!largest!economic!sectors.!The!
most!recent!Statistics!Canada!census!figures!show!
the!City!gained!25,000!jobs!between!2001!and!
2006!D!a!growth!rate!of!22.2%,!which!is!the!
highest!of!any!city!in!Canada.!!
!
!
!
1! City!of!Vaughan!
2! AB!!Sciex!
3! 407!ETR!
4! Aastra!Technologies!Ltd.!
5! Trilliant!Networkd!Inc.!
6! Noranco!Inc.!
7! RuggedCom!Inc.!
8! PowerStream!
9! Soroc!Technology!Inc.!
10! Salga!Associates!
43! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
Vaughn!Municipal!Centre!is!identified!as!an!Anchor!Hub,!integrating!an!important!new!TTC!
station!(an!extension!on!the!Spadina!line!and!the!first!TTC!station!to!be!built!outside!the!City!
of!Toronto)!with!a!soon!to!be!completed!Highway!7!Bus!Rapid!Transit!system!(York!VIVA)!
along!with!other!local!bus!networks.!!
!
The!Mobility!Hub!development!is!part!of!a!major!‘green!field’!development!project!lead!by!
the!City!of!Vaughan!and!private!land!developers!(most!notably!Smart!Centres!and!Toromont!
Industries!Ltd).!The!proposed!development!for!Vaughan!Metropolitan!Centre!features!a!mix!
of!commercial!office,!residential!and!retail!facilities.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
Like!Mississauga!City!Centre!to!the!south!and!Markham!Centre!to!the!east,!the!municipal!and!
developmental!energy!around!creating!a!compact,!walkable!community!in!Vaughan!with!
mixed!uses!is!very!encouraging.!These!types!of!projects!that!stress!density!and!walkability!
have!the!potential!to!transform!our!region!by!stemming!off!both!residential!and!job!sprawl.!!
!
In!the!way!that!these!projects!point!to!a!new!way!of!conceiving!of!the!suburban!form,!the!
Workspace!Hubs!project!also!is!envisioning!a!new!world!in!which!mobile!knowledge!
employees!are!drawn!to!such!high!dense!areas,!due!to!their!sense!of!place,!culture!and!urban!
amenities.!However,!the!time!horizon!on!these!master!plan!developments!makes!any!kind!of!
commitment!a!challenge.!!
!
For!Vaughan,!so!much!still!need!to!be!determined,!such!as!what!will!the!community!make!up!
look!like!and!how!much!commercial!space!will!be!available.!With!the!exception!of!and!TTC!
station!development!and!two!early!condominium!announcements,!only!one!commercial!
project!has!been!announced!and!this!new!construction!project!will!undoubtedly!have!high!
entry!rental!rates.!Since!virtually!all!the!land!is!going!to!be!privately!developed!and!space!
arrangement!negotiations!would!need!to!be!done!with!the!developer.!!
!
At!best,!the!prospect!for!Vaughan!is!hopeful.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!LongDTerm!(6D10!years)!
!
5.3.7. Richmond Hill / Langstaff Gateway

!
!
!
!
Richmond!Hill!is!part!of!Canada’s!largest!
technology!cluster,!with!access!to!top!incubators!
and!investors.!Richmond!Hill!leads!in!other!
sectors!too,!including!professional,!scientific!and!
technical!services,!finance!and!insurance,!
healthcare,!information!and!cultural!industries.!!
Public!transit!efficiently!moves!people!into!the!
city,!while!major!highways,!ports!and!
international!airports!are!nearby!facilitating!the!
efficient!movement!of!products,!services!and!
people.!Richmond!Hill!boasts!Canada’s!most!
educated!workforce,!with!close!access!to!worldD!
leading!professional!services,!colleges,!
universities!and!research!facilities.!Richmond!
Hill’s!financial!health!has!produced!steady!
economic!growth!year!over!year.!
!
!
!
1! York!Central!Hospital!
2! Apotex!
3! Town!of!Richmond!Hill!
4! Acklands!Grainger!
5! Walmart!
6! Sheraton!Parkway!Toronto!North!Hotel/Best!
Western!Parkway!Hotel!
7! Staples!Business!Depot!(Head!Office)!
8! Regional!Municipality!of!York!–!South!Services!
Centre!
9! Rogers!Cable!
10! Victaulic!Company!of!Canada!Ltd.!
!
!
!
45! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
Richmond!HillDLangstaff!is!considered!an!Anchor!Hub!that!will!likely!see!significant!
redevelopment!as!it!moves!to!integrate!existing!GO!train!service!(Richmond!Hill!Line)!with!
the!eastDwest!York!VIVA!Bus!Rapid!Transit!service!(running!along!HWY!7)!along!with!other!
local!bus!service!routes.!The!Richmond!Hill!Centre!Bus!Terminal!is!presently!operating!
adjacent!to!the!Langstaff!GO!Station.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
The!location!of!this!Mobility!Hub!holds!strategic!value!as!it!not!only!is!a!catchDbasin!for!the!
heavily!populated!–!and!growing!–!Richmond!Hill,!but!it!also!serves!as!a!potential!connection!
point!with!the!communities!directly!above!Toronto,!especially!those!running!north!along!
Yonge!Street:!Aurora,!King!City!&!Newmarket.!The!impending!completion!of!the!HWY!7!Bus!
Rapid!Transit!service!could!also!establish!Richmond!Hill!Langstaff!as!a!valuable!interchange!
location!for!all!of!York!Region.!Also!of!note,!is!the!possible!TTC!extension!of!its!Yonge!line,!
beyond!Finch!into!Richmond!Hill,!which!would!of!course!be!of!great!significance.!
!
While!there!is!some!land!within!the!station!boundaries!immediately!available!to!redevelop!
(mainly!surfaceDlevel!parking!operated!by!GO)!the!existing!builtDform!that!surrounds!
Richmond!HillDLangstaff!is!not!complimentary!to!the!Workspace!Hubs!vision.!The!catchment!
area!around!the!Mobility!Hub!is!presently!dominated!by!bigDbox!retail!and!the!street!system!
consists!of!wide!fourDlane!roadways!that!are!not!inviting!to!either!cyclists!or!pedestrians.!!
!
Since!the!area!has!been!designated!as!an!Urban!Growth!Centre,!York!Region!has!undertaken!
steps!to!revise!its!Richmond!Hill!Master!Plan!to!allow!for!additional!intensification!and!the!
creation!of!a!transitDoriented!community,!however!the!visioning!process!is!still!at!it’s!very!
early!stages!and!could!take!a!decade!to!materialize.!!
!
The!intentions!are!in!place!politically!to!create!a!mixed!use!neighbourhood,!but!the!material!
signs!of!this!change!still!lay!in!wait.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!LongDTerm!(6D10!years)!
!
!
5.3.8. Markham Centre

!
!
!
!
Markham!is!one!of!the!fastest!growing!
municipalities!in!Ontario,!home!to!over!310,000!
people!covering!212!square!kilometres!of!land.!!
More!than!400!companies!are!headquartered!in!
Markham!due!to!a!wellDdefined!transportation!
and!communication!network,!high!quality!
facilities,!a!diverse!and!highly!educated!labour!
force!and!proDbusiness!environment.!!
With!close!to!900!highD!technology!and!life!
sciences!companies,!Markham!is!Canada’s!HighD
Technology!Capital.!
!
!
!
1! IBM!Canada!Ltd.!
2! American!Express!(AMEX!Canada!Inc.)!
3! Markham!Stouffville!Hospital!
4! AMD!Technologies!Inc.!
5! TD!Waterhouse!Inc.!
6! The!Miller!Group!
7! CGI!Information!Systems!
8! Town!of!Markham!–!Civic!Centre!
9! Allstate!Insurance!
10! MMM!Group!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
47! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
!$10.00!!
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
Markham!Centre!is!an!Anchor!Mobility!Hub!that!will!integrate!the!existing!Unionville!GO!
Train!Station!(Stoufville!Line)!with!planned!VIVA!Hwy!7!Bus!Rapid!Transit!as!well!as!local!
bus!routes.!!
!
The!Markham!Centre!Mobility!Hub!is!an!essential!component!of!Downtown!Markham,!a!
multiDbillion!dollar!development!project!presently!underway!on!the!land!immediately!west!
of!the!existing!GO!Station.!The!privatelyDfinanced!Downtown!Markham!development!is!
attempting!to!create!a!new!focal!point!to!the!city!of!Markham!that!could!serve!as!both!a!
residential!community!and!active!business,!recreational!and!cultural!district!for!the!
otherwise!sprawling!city!of!Markham.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
Markham!has!both!a!fastDgrowing!population!and!a!large!supply!of!highDtech!employers!
(thanks!in!large!part!to!the!longDterm!presence!of!IBM),!making!this!municipality!attractive!
to!the!Workspace!Hubs!project.!Additionally!there!is!an!active!local!commitment!in!the!startD
up!and!business!acceleration!sector!through!York!RegionDsupported!ventureLab,!who!
operate!very!near!by!to!the!Markham!Centre!Mobility!Hub.!!
!
On!the!downside,!the!present!built!form!of!Markham!typically!features!lowDdensity!housing,!
retail!and!commercial!land!uses,!which!has!lead!to!low!levels!of!mixedDuse!integration.!This!
is!important!to!point!out!since!mixedDuse!density!is!noted!to!be!an!important!factor!for!
mobile!coworkers!who!are!looking!for!ready!access!to!urban!amenities,!near!to!their!work!
environment.!!
!
As!the!Downtown!Markham!development!matures!and!the!Markham!Centre!Mobility!Hub!is!
better!established,!there!will!likely!be!promising!opportunities!to!locate!a!Workspace!Hub!in!
Markham!Centre.!For!now!though,!like!the!other!emerging!downtown!districts!in!the!GTHA,!
it!is!a!waitDandDsee!approach!(although!the!process!is!further!along!here!than!in!Vaughan,!
Richmond!Hill!or!Pickering).!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!MidDTerm!(4D6!years)!
!
5.3.9. Downtown Pickering

!
!
!
!
Pickering!is!centrally!located!within!the!GTA,!with!
direct!access!to!both!Highway!401!and!Highway!
407!ETR!providing!a!convenient!gateway!to!
major!markets!across!North!America.!Being!in!
close!proximity!to!5!different!entry!points!to!the!
United!States,!Pickering!offers!the!ability!to!easily!
access!many!cities!across!North!America.!
Business!tax!rates!are!amongst!the!lowest!of!the!
larger!municipalities!in!Durham!Region.!There!
are!approximately!350!acres!of!vacant!
employment!land!available!for!development!in!
Pickering,!and!a!projected!800!acres!of!
employment!land!with!the!development!of!the!
Seaton!community,!to!meet!the!needs!of!any!
business.!More!than!88%!of!Pickering!residents!
between!the!ages!of!24D64!years!of!age!have!
completed!a!post!secondary!degree!or!diploma.!
Excellent!air!and!rail!services!are!also!available.!
Pickering!is!in!close!proximity!to!Pearson!
International!Airport,!Billy!Bishop!Island!Airport!
and!Oshawa!Municipal!Airport.!
!
!
!
1! Aspect!Retail!Logistics!
2! EcoDTec!Inc.!
3! Hubbell!Canada!LP!
4! Lenbrook!Industries!
5! Municipal!Property!Assessment!Corporation!
6! Nelson!Industrial!Inc.!
7! Ontario!Power!Generation!
8! Purdue!Pharma!Canada!
9! Rogers!Communications!
10! Yorkville!Sound!
49! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
($23.30(( ($25.08((
!$10.00!! ($14.83(( ($17.64(( ($14.99(( ($16.60(( ($16.42(( ($15.06(( ($14.19((
($12.28((
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
Downtown!Pickering!is!an!Anchor!Mobility!Hub!for!the!Durham!Region!to!the!east!of!the!City!
of!Toronto.!The!location!presently!includes!the!Pickering!GO!Train!Station!(Lakeshore!East!
Line)!as!well!bus!bays!for!Durham!Transit.!!
!
The!presence!of!large!surfaceDlevel!parking!facilities!at!this!Mobility!Hub!indicate!an!
opportunity!to!develop!a!highDordered!interchange!Mobility!Hub,!that!could!accommodate!
mixed!uses.!Strategically,!the!area!is!well!positioned!with!immediate!connection!to!HWY!401,!
the!impending!conversion!to!twoDway!allDday!service!on!the!GO!Lakeshore!Line!as!well!as!the!
hopeful!implementation!of!a!local!Bus!Rapid!Transit!system!(presently!in!the!Environmental!
Assessment!stage).!!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
The!design!intention!of!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!is!to!create!a!network!of!satellite!
locations!that!connect!the!GTHA!region!in!all!directions.!This!would!of!course!include!the!
Durham!Region,!with!the!urban!centres!of!Pickering,!Ajax,!Whitby,!and!Oshawa!all!
representing!large!populations!of!prospective!customers.!!
!
Our!research!however!indicates!that!the!regions!of!Peel,!Halton!and!York!presently!have!
greater!numbers!of!both!knowledge!workers!and!telecommuters!than!does!Durham!(this!is!
supported!by!telecommuting!statistics!uncovered!by!Metrolinx’s!Commuter!Survey,!2011).!
Therefore,!it!would!be!our!recommendation!to!consider!opening!a!Durham!location!toward!
the!latter!stages!of!the!expansion!cycle,!allowing!for!the!numbers!of!teleworkers!to!grow!in!
this!part!of!the!region.!When!that!time!come,!Downtown!Pickering!may!well!have!matured!
into!a!mixed!use!community!with!an!increased!local!demand.!
!
The!municipality!expects!growth!of!5,000!jobs!and!5,000!residents!in!Downtown!Pickering!
over!the!next!20!years!and!their!priorities!for!accommodating!this!growth!involve!residential!
and!commercial!intensification!within!a!sustainable,!vibrant,!walkable!‘downtown’!
environment:!all!design!objectives!that!would!support!a!Workspace!Hub!location.!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!LongDTerm!(6D10!years)!
!
5.3.10. Toronto: Downtown CBD

!
!
!
!
Toronto!is!an!international!centre!for!commerce,!
research!and!innovation.!With!low!operating!costs,!
reduced!security!risks!and!the!availability!and!skill!
of!the!labour!force!together!with!access!to!the!
globe’s!most!lucrative!markets!have!made!Toronto!
the!‘nearshore’!choice!for!many!companies.!The!
City!of!Toronto’s!economy!comprises!11%!of!
Canada’s!GDP,!with!Toronto’s!GDP!topping!$144!
billion!in!2011.!TorontoDbased!businesses!export!
over!$70!billion!in!goods!and!services!to!every!
corner!of!the!globe!with!retail!sales!of!$62!billion!
annually.!On!an!international!scale,!Canada!has!the!
lowest!overall!business!costs!in!the!G7!as!reported!
in!KPMG’s!Competitive!Alternatives!2010.!
Toronto’s!more!than!84,500!businesses!choose!
from!a!large,!highly!skilled,!multilingual!workforce!
of!1.4!million!people!–!one!sixth!of!the!country’s!
workforce.!64%!of!Toronto!residents!between!the!
ages!of!25!and!64!have!a!postDsecondary!education.!
!
Total!Population! 2,615,060!
Total!private!dwellings! 1,107,851!
!
!
1! Toronto!Transit!Commission!
2! Royal!Bank!of!Canada!
3! Canadian!Imperial!Bank!of!Commerce!
4! TorontoDDominion!Bank!
5! Scotia!Bank!
6! BMO!Nesbitt!Burns!Inc.!
7! Toronto!District!School!Board!
8! University!of!Toronto!
9! Government!of!Ontario!
10! City!of!Toronto!
51! ! !
!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!!
!$40.00!! ($25.05((
!$30.00!! ($10.60((
($10.62(( ($11.62(( ($15.52((
!$20.00!! ($10.50(( ($9.85(( ($12.12(( ($14.02((
($10.12((
($23.30(( ($25.08((
!$10.00!! ($14.83(( ($17.64(( ($14.99(( ($16.60(( ($16.42(( ($15.06(( ($14.19((
($12.28((
!$#!!!!
!
!
!
The!Downtown!Toronto!Mobility!Hub!is!a!very!different!type!of!Hub!than!any!of!the!others!in!
the!GTHA.!Logically,!it!is!identified!as!an!Anchor!Hub,!with!the!multiDmodal!Union!Station!
serving!as!the!region’s!busiest!interchange!station,!and!one!which!is!undergoing!significant!
renovations!to!allow!for!expanded!operations.!
!
The!Downtown!Toronto!Hub!services!the!TTC,!GO!(multiple!bus!and!train!lines),!VIA,!in!
addition!to!active!transport!routes!(PATH!network!and!city!bicycle!routes).!Targeted!for!
2015!opening,!Downtown!Toronto!will!also!be!connected!to!Pearson!Airport!through!the!
UnionDPearson!AirDRail!Link.!!
!
Project!Statement!
!
With!full!regional!coverage!as!a!central!objective!to!this!project,!establishing!a!central!
Toronto!location!would!be!a!key!component!of!that!network.!A!downtown!location!has!
strategic!relevance!for!many!reasons.!!
!
Firstly,!a!large!number!of!freelance!workers!support!businesses!that!are!themselves!located!
in!the!downtown!central!business!district,!so!proximity!to!those!related!businesses!would!be!
a!strong!attractor.!Secondly,!it!has!been!our!experience!that!there!is!a!high!concentration!of!
social!entrepreneurs!who!live!downtown!and!would!find!the!Workspace!Hub!to!be!an!
attractive!work!home!base.!And!finally,!as!a!networked!benefit!to!the!members!who!would!
normally!work!out!of!a!suburban!location!close!to!their!home,!a!Downtown!Toronto!location!
could!be!extremely!beneficial!for!occasions!when!those!members!are!conducting!business!in!
Toronto!–!the!facility!would!be!available!to!them!to!host!meetings,!or!spend!occasional!
workdays.!!
!
Naturally,!commercial!rent!in!Downtown!Toronto!is!the!highest!in!the!region!and!could!pose!
a!limitation!to!prime!locations.!However,!locations!on!the!fringes!of!the!downtown!could!and!
would!be!carefully!considered!to!mitigate!against!high!commercial!rent.!!
!
(Low/None,!Immediate,!ShortITerm,!MidITerm!or!LongITerm):!!Immediate!
!
Section Summary
!
Of!the!ten!Mobility!Hub!locations!we!reviewed!for!this!analysis,!we!determined!that!the!only!
locations!that!were!immediately!suitable!for!the!Workspace!Hubs!to!locate!in!either!
immediately!or!in!the!shortDterm!would!be!Hamilton,!Brampton!and!Downtown!Toronto.!
This!is!largely!due!to!the!existing!mix!of!urban!amenities!that!are!presently!in!place!in!these!
locations,!compared!to!the!other!emerging!or!planned!suburban!centres.!!
!
The!three!Mobility!Hub!locations!that!we!feel!have!midDterm!possibilities!for!this!project!are!
Midtown!Oakville,!Markham!Centre!and!Mississauga!City!Centre.!There!is!much!development!
progress!that!needs!to!take!place!in!each!of!these!locations,!but!we!feel!that!the!conditions!
are!in!place!that!should!produce!interesting!mixedDuse!communities!that!could!be!expected!
to!support!Workspace!Hub!locations!toward!the!later!half!of!this!decade.!!
!
Vaughan,!Richmond!HillDLangstaff!and!Pickering!are!all!longDterm!possibilities!in!our!view.!
The!conditions!are!all!forming!for!these!Anchor!Hub!locations!–!especially!in!Vaughan!–!but!
there!is!still!a!long!way!to!go!for!each!potential!location.!!
!
Certainly!there!are!other!considerations!to!weigh!out!beyond!urban!amenities!and!the!
presence!of!mixed!use.!Specifically,!we!need!to!consider!whether!the!demand!will!be!
sufficient!to!support!a!Hub!location.!To!that!end,!we!feel!that!we!have!only!chosen!locations!
for!this!analysis!that!we!feel!would!have!the!preconditions!to!support!a!Workspace!Hub,!
most!importantly!a!combination!of!residential!density!combined!with!high!levels!of!
commuter!frustration.!Perhaps!the!exception!may!have!been!Burlington,!which!upon!further!
analysis!was!determined!not!to!be!a!suitable!location!to!pursue.!!
!
Thinking!beyond!this!list!of!Mobility!Hubs!is!also!a!possibility.!Places!like!Guelph,!KitchenerD
Waterloo!or!even!BloorDDundas!West!in!Toronto!could!all!be!potential!Workspace!Hub!
locations!and!each!has!certain!opportunities.!However,!we!wanted!to!begin!by!evaluating!the!
primary!Hub!locations!that!had!the!highest!strategic!locational!value.!
!
Should!a!project!proceed,!we!feel!that!a!‘first!phase’!of!four!locations!could!be!opened!within!
five!years:!Hamilton,!Brampton,!Toronto!&!Oakville.!A!‘second!phase’!could!then!be!planned!
and!financed,!and!could!include!a!selection!from!the!following!locations,!should!development!
conditions!unfold!positively:!Mississauga!City!Centre,!Markham!Centre,!Vaughan,!Richmond!
HillDLangstaff!and!Pickering.!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
53! ! !
Section!Six!!Financial!Summary!
6. FINANCIAL SUMMARY
!
With!the!business!model!in!place,!along!with!a!scan!of!the!municipalities!and!market!rate!real!
estate!completed,!we!were!able!to!move!on!to!building!a!test!scenario!that!would!allow!us!to!
examine!the!financial!implication!of!the!full!vision.!In!order!to!execute!this!stage!of!the!project,!
we!enlisted!the!assistance!Christopher!Chen!(M.!Fin,!CMA)!to!act!as!our!financial!consultant.!
Together,!we!scrutinized!all!available!financial!material!from!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation’s!
operations!and!location!startDup!financing!to!give!us!baseline!inputs!for!all!revenues!and!
expenses.!From!this!starting!point,!we!were!then!able!to!construct!a!separate!Workspace!Hubs!
model,!based!on!assumptions,!prices!and!scenarios!separate!from!CSI!that!all!flowed!into!the!
representative!work!that!follows.!!!
!
Having!said!this,!this!study!isn’t!intended!to!serve!as!a!detailed!business!plan!document,!but!
rather!a!generalized!overview!of!several!aspects!of!the!concept,!including!a!financial!scenario!
test.!!The!financial!modeling!is!intended!to!serve!as!a!starting!point!for!discussion!and!if!it!a!
project!was!to!be!developed,!then!a!more!rigorous!financial!analysis!would!need!to!be!
performed.!
6.1. Model Overview

!
The!financial!model!below!represents!an!abstraction!of!our!research,!meant!to!give!a!
representative!illustration!of!the!financial!realities!of!this!vision.!In!this!simplified!scenario!
(not!adjusted!for!inflation),!certain!fineDgrain!details!have!been!averagedDout!in!order!to!
enable!the!necessary!illustration.!Lease!rates!for!instance!have!been!averaged!out!across!the!
GTHA!(separating!only!the!City!of!Toronto!from!the!suburban!municipalities)!due!to!the!
uncertainty!around!the!suitable!timing!and!readiness!of!each!location.!!
!
In!this!model,!we!examined!the!impact!of!opening!eight!locations!over!ten!years:!seven!
located!in!suburban!municipal!settings,!and!one!central!location!in!Toronto.!!
6.2. Site and Administration Approach

!
While!each!Workspace!Hub!location!would!be!staffed!with!a!General!Manager!along!with!a!
team!of!Community!Animators!(number!of!Animators!would!change!depending!on!the!size!of!
the!location),!our!design!concept!for!the!project!features!a!supporting!administrative!team!
that!would!coordinate!the!strategic!activities!of!the!entire!business!from!a!central!location.!
This!group!would!be!responsible!for!meeting!business!objectives!of!the!corporation!and!
executing!the!overall!vision!of!the!project,!and!would!support!all!locations.!!
!
This!administrative!group!would!involve!the!following!roles:!
!
! Chief!Executive!Officer!
! Chief!Operating!Officer!
! Chief!Financial!Officer!
! Director!of!Leasing!
! Director!of!IT!
! Accounting!&!Administrative!Manager!
!
!
!
6.3. Modeling by Size: 5, 15 and 30,000 square feet

!
From!municipality!to!municipality,!the!availability!of!space!as!well!as!the!local!demand!will!
ultimately!determine!the!size!of!the!space!we!open!with.!However!for!projecting!useful!
revenues!and!expenses!in!our!model,!it!was!important!to!establish!norms!or!preDset!
assumptions!for!a!range!of!size!types.!
!
When!considering!certain!financial!inputs!–!such!as!staffing!levels!or!the!composition!of!
offices!to!private!desks!to!common!areas!that!will!ultimately!make!up!the!space!–!there!is!
significant!fluctuation!at!different!size!categories:!the!relationship!is!not!a!linear!one.!
Therefore,!we!focused!our!model!around!three!location!sizes:!5,000,!15,000!and!30,000!
square!feet.!All!input!considerations!were!based!around!these!three!size!categories.!
6.4. Model Inputs: Revenue Assumptions

!
The!vast!majority!of!the!business!revenue!in!the!Workspace!Hubs!model!from!office/desk!
rental!(commonly!up!to!85%).!The!remaining!revenue!is!generated!from!additional!payDperD
use!services!(from!things!such!as!photocopy!fees,!reserved!mailboxes)!and!room!booking!
rentals!(both!for!meetings!and!special!events).!We!have!assumed!for!this!model!that!the!
venture!would!be!a!registered!as!a!notDforDprofit!and!that!revenues!accrued!would!not!be!
subject!to!commercial!income!tax.!
!
In!order!to!analyze!the!expected!revenue!from!office/desk!rental,!we!needed!to!first!
establish!the!composition!of!the!space!at!each!size!type.!Available!space!uses!include:!private!
office;!private!desk;!hot!desk!(occasional!membership);!meeting!room;!and!common!area.!!
!
Experience!gained!from!operations!with!CSI!has!been!relied!on!here!to!ensure!that!the!
correct!mix!is!created!that!would!foster!the!kind!of!interactions!that!we!would!be!aiming!for.!
We!have!learned!that!different!people!and!projects!have!different!workspace!needs.!And!
although!the!space!is!nonDrevenue!generating,!every!location!needs!ample!shared!space.!
Space!to!stretch!out,!mix!and!interact!is!essential.!(If!this!feels!like!a!corporate!office,!we!will!
lose!people!very!quickly.)!Permanent!desk!and!hot!desk!members!bring!a!high!level!of!
energy!and!a!strong!willingness!to!collaborate.!Private!offices,!while!best!for!ensuring!
dependable!revenue!and!lowing!exposure!to!turnover,!can!reduce!the!collaboration!
potential,!and!a!location!with!only!hot!desk!members!doesn’t!allow!for!community!roots!to!
grow.!!
!
All!this!to!say!that!there!has!been!an!artful!methodology!used!to!arrive!at!the!following!
spatial!arrangements:!
!
! 5,000!sq!ft! 15,000!sq!ft! 30,000!sq!ft!
Private!Offices! 0%! 30%! 40%!
Private!(Dedicated)!Desks! 35%! 15%! 15%!
Hot!Desks! 35%! 15%! 15%!
Meeting!Rooms! 10%! 15%! 15%!
Shared!Space! 20%! 25%! 15%!
!
Following!the!spatial!distribution,!we!formulated!per!square!foot!revenue!estimates!for!each!
office/desk!rental!category,!based!on!expected!chargeDrates.!!
!
Our!research!has!lead!us!to!set!the!monthly!rate!for!a!private!dedicated!work!desk!at!
$500/month.!Using!this!factor,!we!can!then!price!a!typical!private!office!(while!sizes!of!
55! ! !
private!offices!can!range,!$1,200/month!for!a!135!sq!ft!!space!was!established)!as!well!as!
estimating!an!average!hot!desk!membership!to!generate!$250/month.!Hot!desk!–!or!
temporary!membership!–!packages!would!be!offered!in!two!to!three!tiers!and!we!assume!
that!in!full!occupancy,!there!would!be!2.2!memberships!sold!for!every!hot!desk!seat.!!
!
Accordingly,!the!following!per!square!foot!norms!can!be!extracted:!!
!
! Avg!Unit! Projected! Projected!
Rate!Per!
Size!! Revenue/!Sq!Ft! Revenue!/!Sq!Ft!
Month!
(sq!ft)! (per!month)! (per!year)!
Private!Offices!!
$1200! 135! $8.89! $106.67!
(Varying!Sizes)!
Private!(Dedicated)!
$500! 80! $6.25! $75.00!
Desks!
Hot!Desks!!
$250*! 50! $11.00**! $132.00!
(Varying!Packages)!
*!different!Hot!Desk!packages!would!be!offered!!
**!using!a!factor!of!2.2!Hot!Desk!members!for!every!available!Hot!Desk!space!
!
These!projections!allowed!us!to!establish!the!full!occupancy!revenue!potential!for!each!
prospective!Workspace!Hub!location.!For!the!purposes!of!our!model,!we!established!that!by!
year!four,!each!suburban!location!would!reach!a!‘mature’!growth!status,!maintaining!an!
average!annual!occupancy!of!85%.!The!Toronto!location!was!set!at!90%!occupied!for!its!
mature!status.!For!years!one!through!three,!we!applied!occupancy!percentages,!beginning!at!
50%!for!year!one,!growing!through!the!first!four!years!to!reach!its!mature!status!by!year!
four.!!
!
Finally,!each!location’s!first!year’s!revenues!(and!operating!expenses)!in!the!model!have!
been!prorated!to!nine!operating!months,!allowing!for!three!months!of!location!leasehold!
improvements!and!setDup!prior!to!opening.!
6.5. Model Inputs: Expense Assumptions

!
The!financial!model!for!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!includes!three!main!expense!categories:!
new!location!startDup!costs;!location!operating!expenses,!and;!administrative!support!fees.!
We!have!tracked!each!expense!separately,!recognizing!that!each!area!might!have!different!
opportunities!for!financing!and/or!partnership!cost!relief.!!!
!
Gross!startDup!costs!were!calculated!based!on!a!projection!of!$50.00!per!sq!ft!in!leasehold!
improvements,!furnishings!and!equipment!expenses,!plus!costs!related!to!startDup!marketing!
and!dedicated!staffing!required!for!the!location!launch.!In!the!model!scenario,!these!total!
startDup!costs!were!assigned!to!the!year!that!the!location!opened!only.!
!
Operating!expenses!for!each!location!are!divided!into!general!operating!expenses,!staffing!
and!rent.!While!some!coworking!outfits!are!short!on!support!services,!the!CSI!model!(which!
the!Workspace!Hubs!approach!is!based!on)!prominently!features!an!expanded!role!for!
location!staff,!particularly!in!the!form!of!Community!Animators.!While!we!would!plan!to!
transfer!much!of!the!business!processing!duties!to!the!administrative!support!team,!a!
location!General!Manager!plus!Community!Animators!are!essential!to!ensuring!a!local!
community!takes!root!at!the!Workspace!Hub.!When!operating!small!locations!(5,000!square!
feet!for!example),!the!impact!of!this!investment!on!staffing!translates!into!a!high!cost!of!
doing!business,!an!investment!that!can!be!offset!as!the!location!size!increases,!decreasing!the!
per!square!foot!operating!cost!estimates.!(see!chart!below!for!illustration!of!projected!
operating!costs!by!size!type)!
!
!
Projected!Annual!Per!Square!Foot!Operating!
Costs!(By!Size!Type)!
!$60.00!!
!$50.00!! !$53.47!!
!$48.93!!
!$40.00!!
!$38.45!!
!$30.00!! !$35.50!!
!$20.00!!
!$10.00!!
!$D!!!!
5,000!GTHA! 15,000!GTHA! 30,000!GTHA! 15,000!Toronto!
!
!
To!illustrate!this!further,!the!following!diagrams!show,!the!impact!that!staffing!costs!have!on!
overall!operating!expenses!and!underscore!the!attractiveness!of!a!larger!space!for!
decreasing!the!overall!operating!cost!burden!to!the!site.!!
!
Distribution!of!Projected!Operating!Costs!(By!Size!Type)!
!
5,000!sq!ft!GTHA! 15,000!sq!ft!GTHA! General!

Operating!
General!
Operating! Expenses!
Expenses! 8%!
7%!
Stafzing!
19%!
Stafzing!
Rent! 36%!
57%! Rent!
73%!
!!!!!!!!!!!! !
!
!
30,000!sq!ft!GTHA! General! 15,000!sq!ft!!

General!
Operating!
Expenses! Toronto! Operating!
8%! Expenses!
6%!
Stafzing!
13%! Stafzing!
14%!
Rent! Rent!
79%! 80%!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
!
As!mentioned!above,!the!administrative!support!team!would!be!responsible!for!the!overall!
business!operations!of!the!enterprise.!The!support!team!would!be!housed!out!of!a!central!
location!(logically!eventually!in!one!of!the!central!Hub!locations)!and!would!feature!the!
following!team!members:!!
57! ! !
!
! Project!Launch:!!
! CEO!
! CFO!
! Director!of!Leasing!!
! Year!Three:! !
! COO! !
! Director!of!IT!
! Year!Four:!
! Accounting!and!Administration!Manager!
!
In!addition!to!staff!costs,!general!business!expenses!such!as!incorporation,!legal!fees,!
marketing,!professional!services!and!web!development!have!gone!into!the!annual!expense!
projections.!!
6.6. Model Inputs: Grants & Sponsorships

!
The!financial!model!shown!assumes!that!there!are!no!grants,!partnerships!or!sponsorships!
either!to!offset!expenses!or!supplement!revenues!however!these!contributions!will!likely!be!
essential.!A!model!showing!fullDcosts!can!allow!for!the!impact!of!such!grants!or!sponsorships!
to!be!measured!in!the!future,!should!access!to!those!opportunities!become!available.!!
6.7. Phasing
!
Our!design!model!for!the!Workspace!Hubs!network!would!feature!an!ideal!network!of!eight!
locations,!opening!in!two!fiveDyear!phasing!‘rounds’.!Through!the!first!five!years,!four!
locations!would!be!opened:!one!in!Toronto!and!three!in!the!Greater!Toronto!and!Hamilton!
Area!(GTHA).!Over!the!second!fiveDyear!phase,!four!additional!GTHA!locations!would!be!
added!to!the!network.!!
!
While!it!might!make!sense!to!open!a!network!of!all!30,000!square!foot!locations!in!order!to!
maximize!revenues!and!social!impact,!we!understand!that!it!may!be!difficult!to!generate!the!
necessary!demand!for!membership!in!each!municipality.!Therefore!we!have!included!a!mix!
of!sizes!in!our!model.!The!following!phasing!plan!has!been!adopted:!
!
Phase'One'
Location!One! Year'One' GTHA' 15,000'sq'ft'
Location!Two! Year'Two' GTHA' 5,000'sq'ft'
Location!Three! Year'Three' GTHA' 30,000'sq'ft'
Location!Four! Year'Four' Toronto' 15,000'sq'ft'
Phase'Two'
Location!Five! Year'Six' GTHA' 5,000'sq'ft'
Location!Six! Year'Seven' GTHA' 30,000'sq'ft'
Location!Seven! Year'Eight' GTHA' 15,000'sq'ft'
Location!Eight! Year'Nine' GTHA' 5,000'sq'ft'
!
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6.8. Financial Outlook: Years 1-10 (not adjusted for inflation)

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59! ! !
6.9. Financial Outlook: Years 11-20 (not adjusted for inflation)

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Section Summary
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The!major!financial!burden!of!any!startDup!enterprise!is!typically!found!in!capitalizing!the!
early!stages!of!the!organization.!During!this!startDup!phase,!costs!are!generally!high,!while!
revenues!are!either!low!or!still!on!the!horizon.!This!project!is!no!exception,!and!due!to!the!
number!of!locations!envisioned!to!open!in!succession,!this!early!hurdle!is!even!more!
pronounced.!
!
By!plotting!out!the!opening!of!eight!separate!work!centres!over!a!ten!year!period,!the!project!
ensures!that!the!first!ten!years!will!be!weighed!down!in!a!considerable!amount!of!red!ink.!
Due!to!the!expansion!model!we!feel!is!required!to!make!the!concept!work,!it!is!not!until!the!
13th!year!that!the!running!net!position!is!projected!to!yield!positive!a!positive!cash!flow,!and!
this!is!not!taking!into!consideration!the!debt!financing!structure,!which!will!push!the!
timetable!for!positive!cash!flow!even!further!afield.!Just!how!far!will!depend!on!how!
attractive!debt!financing!can!be!secured.!!
61! ! !
Section!Seven!!Implementation:!Options!Analysis!
7. IMPLEMENTATION: OPTIONS ANALYSIS

!
Taking!into!account!the!significant!financial!investment!that!would!be!needed!to!finance!the!
startDup!phase!of!this!project,!it!is!appropriate!to!consider!various!options!for!implementing!the!
vision:!in!whole!or!in!part.!The!primary!vision!of!the!project!has!been!well!articulated!in!the!
preceding!pages!and!its!full!implemented!would!have!the!greatest!potential!for!impact.!
However,!parts!of!the!vision!could!in!theory!be!integrated!with!other!actors!in!the!region!to!
realize!some!of!the!central!objectives.!!
7.1. Workspace Hubs Independent Vision

!
This!option!guarantees!the!most!control!around!executing!the!vision!and!shaping!the!growth!
of!the!entire!project.!In!exchange!for!this!control,!comes!the!full!risk!and!responsibility!of!the!
project,!including!the!financial!risk,!which!is!not!insignificant.!A!financing!platform!would!
need!to!be!secured,!and!with!the!longDterm!payback!nature!of!the!project,!would!have!to!be!
inventive.!Provincial!and!local!government!assistance!would!likely!be!essential.!
!
!
Strategic!Fit! Interdependencies!
D!Yes,!entirely!selfDdirected! D!Economic!development!with!local!
D!May!still!need!to!find!a!partner!to!offer! municipalities!
incubation!/!business!acceleration! D!Regional!innovation!potential!with!
services!(if!desired)! provincial/regional!government!
!
Business/Operational!Impact! Profitability!Impact!
D!Ability!to!scale!and!replicate! D!Potential!government!incentives!
D!No!indirect!channels,!all!selfDdirected! D!Likely!to!be!organic!expansion!
D!Ability!to!“call!own!shots”! possibilities!
D!Maximum!risk! D!No!associated!fees!(ie:!franchise)!
D!Higher!overhead!costs!(not!sharing!with!
other!actors)!
!
!
7.2. Secure Major Corporate Partnership

!
Should!the!above!option!be!an!unattractive!proposition,!it!is!not!an!unreasonable!strategy!to!
pursue!a!partnership!with!a!major!corporate!entity!that!has!aligned!missions.!The!“future!of!
work”!vision,!around!which!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!is!based,!could!hold!a!significant!
level!of!appeal!for!major!corporations!who!are!looking!for!a!marketing!vehicle,!most!
obviously,!companies!involved!in!information!technology,!networks!and!
telecommunications.!Cisco!Systems!Inc!(strategic!contributors!to!this!project)!would!be!one!
logical!consideration,!as!would!Citrix,!as!similar!network!systems!provider!with!consumer!
product!line!offerings!geared!at!small!business!and!entrepreneurs.!!
!
D!Qualified!Yes!(partner!would!need!to! D!Could!collaborate!on!shared!operations!
have!aligned!missions)! D!Possibility!that!corporate!partner!could!
D!Expanded!global!reach!outside!of!own! assist!with!incubation!activities!
!
marketing!abilities!
D!Would!need!a!clear!agreement!on!
expansion!scale!
D!Risk!of!diluting!social!mission/purpose!if!
relationship!is!not!clearly!defined!and!
articulated!
D!Attractive!because!of!possible!assistance! D!Shared!risk!
with!upfront!capital!requirements! D!Shared!reward!
D!If!is!a!technical/telecommunications!
provider,!corporate!partner!could!provide!
service!tools!for!operation!
!
7.3. Real Estate Owner/Developer Partnership

!
The!Workspace!Hub!locations!would!be!centres!for!ideas,!culture!and!community,!bringing!a!
sense!of!place!to!any!location.!The!spinDoff!benefits!of!a!Workspace!Hub!to!a!property!owner!
would!be!significant.!Should!we!be!able!to!engage!with!a!developer!or!real!estate!owner!who!
has!a!similar!longDterm!vision!of!creating!meaningful!places!across!the!region’s!Mobility!
Hubs,!we!could!seek!to!secure!belowDmarket!lease!rates!in!exchange!for!our!growth!impact.!
!
D!Yes,!owner/developer!similarly! D!Owner/developer!could!provide!
interested!in!local!growth!impact! assistance!with!rent!and!space!fitDout!
D!Possibly!to!jointly!curate!a!supportive! costs,!consult!regarding!site!and!building!
mix!of!tenants!in!building!(ex:!health!and! uses!
wellness!services,!cafes,!restaurants,!etc)! D!Workspace!Hub!could!provide!
! owner/developer!with!new!stream!of!
tenants!as!members!grow!too!large!for!
Workspace!Hub!!
!
D!Could!provide!a!framework!for! D!Potential!for!decreased!operating!costs!
scalability!and!replicability!(should!a! D!Would!likely!forego!some!control,!risk!
partner!be!sourced!who!has!real!estate! and!reward!
holdings!at!other!Mobility!Hub!locations)!
!
!
7.4. Government Sponsorship / Government Ownership

!
Under!nearly!any!scenario!imaginable!(including!the!above!example!options),!the!Workspace!
Hubs!platform!would!need!to!take!advantage!of!any!available!government!incentive!
programs!that!are!geared!to!fostering!grassroots!innovation,!sustainable!communities!and!
local!economic!development.!Such!programs!as!the!ones!sponsored!federally!by!the!
Federation!of!Canadian!Municipalities!(the!‘Green!Municipal!Fund’!is!available!for!programs!
that!benefit!sustainable!infrastructure!creation),!or!the!Canada!Innovation!Fund!(several!
available!funding!platforms!exist!here!that!could!apply,!such!as!the!‘CollegeDIndustry!
Innovation!Fund’!or!the!‘Exceptional!Opportunities!Fund’)!would!certainly!need!to!be!
63! ! !
Section!Seven!!Implementation:!Options!Analysis!
explored!for!suitability!under!any!arrangement,!along!with!other!provincial,!regional!and!
municipal!incentive!programs!that!exist.!!
!
In!taking!this!idea!one!step!further,!the!Workspace!Hubs!platform!could!be!presented!to!an!
interested!government!administrative!division!purely!as!a!local!economic!development!
platform!for!full!government!ownership!of!project.!Program!design,!concept!development,!
etc!could!be!handled!(and!possibly!branded)!through!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation,!while!
the!financial!responsibility!housed!within!the!interested!government!division.!In!exchange,!
the!Workspace!Hubs!could!be!used!by!that!government!agency!to!promote!job!creation,!
crossDindustry!collaboration,!and!community!development!across!the!region.!!
!
It!is!conceivable!that!suitable!space!in!real!estate!properties!already!publiclyDowned!could!be!
found!for!such!a!governmentDled!arrangement,!whether!locating!in!central!library!branches!
or!future!Metrolinx!Mobility!Hub!station!infrastructure.!Meanwhile,!other!complimentary!
governmentDled!activities!(namely!the!work!of!Regional!Innovation!Centres)!could!be!
brought!together!to!operate!in!the!one!place.!
!
D!Yes! D!Space!availability!
D!Could!provide!complementary! D!Could!work!with!local!economic!
accelerations/incubation!services! development!offices!and/or!Regional!
D!Potential!expanded!reach! Innovation!Centres!who!hold!strong!local!
D!Could!be!part!of!a!“new!era”!of!public! relationships!
facilities!
D!Provides!a!potential!indirect!sales! D!Major:!no!longer!likely!in!drivers’!seat!
channel!for!Workspace!Hubs! !
D!Scalable!and!replicable!across!other!
regions!
D!More!uncertain!timelines!
!
7.5. Cultivate a Regional Network Among Locally-Owned Coworking Centres

!
According!to!the!recent!survey!conducted!by!GermanDbased!coworking!website!
DeskMag.com!(published!March!2013),!in!a!little!more!than!one!decade,!coworking!has!
grown!to!include!100,000!people!in!2,500!coworking!centres!worldwide,!with!an!estimated!
4.5!new!workspaces!launching!each!day.!The!regional!market!of!the!GTHA!presents!a!
considerable!opportunity!for!coworking!expansion!and!while!the!emergence!of!coworking!
spaces!outside!of!the!central!part!of!Toronto!has!been!slow!to!this!point!(see!Sec.!2.5.)!we!
feel!that!strongly!that!spaces!will!inevitably!open!up!in!regional!suburban!centres,!wherever!
the!market!conditions!allow.!!
!
And!while!we!feel!strongly!about!the!transformative!potential!of!a!regional!network!of!
shared!workspaces,!perhaps!it!is!not!feasible!for!one!organization!to!own!and!oversee!the!
entire!operation.!Instead!of!executing!an!expansion!of!multiple!workspaces!ourselves,!a!
different!direction!that!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!could!move!in!would!be!to!act!as!a!
support!agency!to!the!strategic!creation!of!locallyDowned!and!operated!coworking!centres.!!
!
! !
!
Under!this!arrangement,!Workspace!Hubs!(or!the!real!estate!&!consulting!division!of!CSI)!
could!provide!the!following!services!and!roles:!!
!
! support!local!startDup!initiatives!to!build!shared!spaces!by!consulting!on!concept!
development,!service!model!and!mapping!out!access!to!grants,!sponsorships,!etc!
! connect!coworking!spaces!through!a!premium!interoperable!service!offering!
! provide!community!animation!assistance!and!guidance!in!neighbourhood!development!
activities!
! provide!technical,!educational!and!eventDbased!services!
! establish!an!accreditation!platform!for!coworking!centres!
! explore!the!creation!of!shared!technology!
Municipalities!and!government!partners!could!create!incentives!(Section!37,!below!market!
rents!or!paying!for!capital!costs)!to!attract!the!creation!of!shared!spaces!in!strategic!locations!
to!reinforce!a!vibrant!community!vision.!!Although!a!network!would!present!its!own!costs,!it!
would!support!local!entrepreneurship!and!could!potentially!avoid!high!management!
overhead!costs.!
!
In!effect,!the!Workspace!Hubs!project!would!become!a!vision!(networked!shared!spaces)!as!
opposed!to!a!company!(stand!alone!and!dominant).!
!
D!Qualified!Yes! D!would!be!dependent!on!sustainable!
D!Fits!with!hyperDlocal!theme!as!more! success!of!multiple!shared!work!centres!
ownership!is!held!locally! D!each!site!would!be!owned!and!operated!
D!Lose!control!of!specific!vision!within! locally!while!Workspace!Hub!vision!is!
each!regional!operation! regional!connection!point!and!service!
! provider!
!
D!Structured!to!readily!scale!and!replicate! D!significantly!reduces!financial!risk!by!
across!region!! focusing!on!service!provision!
D!could!be!expanded!enlarged!beyond!
GTHA!to!increase!profit!potential!!
!
!
!
65! ! !
Section!Eight!!Conclusions!and!Recommendations!
8. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

!
When!we!set!out!on!this!investigation,!we!wished!to!test!two!things.!One,!is!the!concept!valid!
and!worthwhile?!And!secondly,!is!it!financially!viable?!
!
Does!the!idea!make!sense?!We!believe!the!answer!to!that!is!still!only!a!qualified!yes,!
assuming!that!the!Mobility!Hub!network!–!including!all!the!development!targets!–!become!a!
reality.!We!believe!that!developing!meaningful,!dense,!mixedDuse!districts!around!suburban!
transit!nodes!is!going!to!be!a!key!factor!in!limiting!sprawl!and!achieving!a!more!equitable,!
sustainable!GTHA!region.!And!as!technology!continues!to!enable!footloose!mobility!for!
knowledge!workers!and!entrepreneurs!alike,!we!feel!that!demand!will!be!high!for!workspace!
that!is!both!close!to!where!people!live!and!wellDconnected!to!the!rest!of!the!region.!We!
acknowledge!that!we!have!been!slightly!disappointed!by!the!lack!of!enthusiasm!we!felt!from!
our!corporate!interviewees!around!justifying!subsidizing!employees!to!work!at!a!
hypothetical!Workspace!Hub,!however!we!feel!that!these!attitudes!are!certainly!subject!to!
change!over!time.!
!
Secondly,!will!this!make!any!money?!The!answer!to!that!is!potentially!another!question:!how!
patient!are!you?!(And!how!much!faith!do!you!have!in!the!vision!enduring!over!time?)!The!
ongoing!capital!investment!required!to!open!several!locations!over!a!period!of!successive!
years,!means!that!the!payoff!on!this!investment!is!going!to!be!several!years!out.!With!a!long!
payback!horizon,!you!need!to!be!sure!that!you!can!depend!on!the!model!sustaining!itself!long!
enough!for!the!investment!to!pay!off.!This!means!looking!ahead!15D20!years!and!making!a!
prediction!that!the!forecasts!around!work!habits!and!regional!development!patterns!are!
dependable!enough!that!the!vision!will!endure.!This!farDhorizon!reality!of!the!financial!
picture!is!a!concern.!
!
The!most!exciting!aspect!of!the!Workspace!Hubs!concept!is!that!it!appears!to!be!in!concert!
with!a!number!of!other!important!and!developing!trends.!Namely:!optimizing!the!use!of!
technology;!envisioning!the!modern!office!and!work!experience;!contributing!to!the!
reduction!in!congestion!and!associated!carbon!emissions;!rebalancing!work/life!
opportunities;!and!reshaping!the!suburbs.!With!these!bigDvision!themes!all!developing!at!
different!rates,!the!most!exciting!aspect!of!the!concept!is!also!the!most!challenging!one:!how!
to!get!the!timing!right.!Clearly,!we!are!a!still!few!years!away!from!many!of!the!Mobility!Hubs!
beginning!to!take!shape.!
!
The!idea!and!vision!of!what!is!possible!remains!deeply!compelling.!It!is!our!perspective!that!
the!vision!will!only!be!able!to!come!to!life!through!a!deep!collaboration!with!stakeholders!
(municipal,!provincial,!local!entrepreneurs,!and!community).!
Lessons Learned
!
Our!investigation!of!the!future!Mobility!Hub!locations!revealed!that!only!a!handful!of!the!
locations!are!far!enough!along!in!their!respective!development!and!land!use!visions!to!
ensure!the!density!needed!to!make!a!coworking!centre!viable.!
!
While!the!residential,!recreational!and!commercial!densities!found!in!Downtown!Hamilton!
and!Downtown!Brampton!could!theoretically!support!a!shared!work!community,!others!are!
still!years!away!achieving!their!density!targets.!With!Midtown!Oakville!perhaps!appearing!
closest!to!being!included!in!this!group,!it!should!be!monitored!closely!over!the!next!two!
years,!along!with!the!broadDscale!downtown!developments!in!Mississauga!City!Centre,!
Vaughan!and!Markham!Centre.!Within!the!next!two!to!three!years,!there!may!be!more!
!
concrete!signs!that!the!Mobility!Hubs!have!the!density!and!mixed!uses!that!can!adequately!
support!shared!work!centres.!
Bottom Line & Recommend Next Steps

!
The!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!began!this!project!with!a!vision!to!connect!regional!hubs!by!
leveraging!the!power!of!community!in!shared!spaces.!We!envisioned!a!social!venture!with!
the!resources!to!capitalize!the!creation!of!beautiful!spaces!within!or!close!to!the!mobility!hub!
locations.!We!dreamt!of!shifts!in!commuter!patterns!and!keeping!people!out!of!their!cars!and!
in!their!communities.!
!
Since!our!inception!in!2004,!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!has!been!creating!the!
conditions!for!social!transformation,!and!we!watched!as!both!the!demand!and!resulting!
impact!have!grown!immensely.!While!we!are!eager!to!continue!contributing!to!this!social!
impact!in!the!GTHA!through!this!proposed!Workspace!Hubs!project,!we!unfortunately!feel!
that!carrying!this!project!forward!at!this!time,!with!the!original!intentions!we!set!out!with!
would!be!a!poor!decision!and!would!not!benefit!the!stakeholders!involved.!
!
Simply!put,!we!fear!that!the!projected!capital!costs!are!too!high!and!in!an!environment!
where!many!of!the!Mobility!Hubs!still!time!before!they!become!a!reality,!the!risk!not!
reasonable.!
!
Where!we!feel!we!can!make!an!impact!however,!is!in!taking!this!nearDdecade!of!experience!
in!creating!successful!communities!around!shared!workspaces!into!markets!outside!of!
Toronto,!where!local!groups!and!organizations!are!hatching!plans!for!locallyDfocused!shared!
work!spaces!themselves.!
!
The!Workspace!Hubs!platform!could!include!consultation!services!around!access!to!grants,!
sponsorship!and!corporate!involvement,!fees!for!training!and!provision!of!educational!
programs,!and!so!on.!The!Workspace!Hubs!platform!could!connect!coworking!spaces!across!
the!region!for!corporate!multiDcity!membership!packages!and!manage!a!backend!network!of!
users!across!the!region.!In!this!sense,!the!Workspace!Hubs!platform!would!not!be!the!
centralized!operation!that!we!imagined,!but!rather!a!set!of!support!services!to!an!emerging!
sector!of!independent!coworking!businesses!that!are!all!working!toward!a!greater!vision.!
!
While!we!have!come!to!the!conclusion!that!the!originally!proposed!concept!is!too!costly,!we!
still!feel!that!there!is!tremendous!logic!to!linking!new!shared!work!spaces!to!the!Mobility!
Hub!network!and!believe!in!the!transformational!impact!that!this!concept!could!have!on!
both!a!local!and!regional!economic!development!level.!We!feel!that!based!on!the!details!
written!above,!that!CSI’s!best!efforts!should!be!focused!on!assisting!independent!regional!
agencies!to!create!their!own!locallyDfocused!spaces.!
!
We!believe!that!institutional!partners!that!share!this!vision!could!also!play!a!role!in!
incentivizing!local!shared!spaces!to!be!woven!into!the!fabric!of!the!Mobility!Hub!Network.!
Certainly!the!Centre!for!Social!Innovation!would!be!interested!in!pursuing!strategies!to!bring!
a!more!intentional!process!to!this!networks!development.!We!welcome!a!conversation!with!
stakeholders!who!share!our!vision.!
!
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WORKSPACE HUBS:

FINAL FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT

made possible by generous support from:

1. INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

1.1. Feasibility Study Objective

1.2. Guiding Principles

1.3. The Increasing Costs of Congestion as a Tipping Point to Mass Telecommuting

1.4. Project Focus: Place-making in Suburban Centres

1.5. Target Audiences

1.6. Social & Environmental Impact

1.7. Associated Trends

1.7.2. Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation

1.7.3. Growth of Coworking

1.8. Comparable Examples

Downtown! Residential! Residential!Areas! Airports,!train! ResidentialD

1.9. Background: About the Centre for Social Innovation

1.9.1. Background: Knowledge and Experience

2. MARKET RESEARCH FINDINGS

2.1. Important Regional Factors

2.2. Global Coworking Trends

2.3. GTHA Commuter Profiles

2.4. Corporate Readiness

2.5. Scan of Competitive Alternatives

3. BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS

3.1. Customer Segments

3.1.1. Mobile & Remote Workers: “Various Shapes and Sizes”

3.1.2. Global Segment Trends

3.2. Value Proposition

3.4. Customer Relationship

3.5. Revenue Streams

3.6. Key Resources

3.7. Key Activities

3.7.1. Technological Components

3.7.2. Enabling Role of Technology

3.8. Key Partners

3.9. Cost Structure

4. COMMUNICATIONS AND BRAND STRATEGY

4.1. Communications Strategy

Partner!Group! Macro!Group! Micro!Group!

service!providers! key!decision!makers! informationDbased!

municipalities/cities! system!controllers! small!businesses!

4.1.1. Messages for the Partner Audience

4.1.2. Messages for the Macro Audience

4.1.3. Messages for the Micro Audience

5.1.2. The Big Move & “Mobility Hubs”

5.2. Shortlisting: Establishing Shortlist of Key GTHA Workspace Hub Sites

5.3. Individual Hub Location Analysis

5.3.5. Downtown Hamilton

5.3.5. Midtown Oakville

5.3.5. Downtown Burlington

5.3.4 Downtown Brampton

5.3.5. Mississauga City Centre

5.3.6. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

5.3.7. Richmond Hill / Langstaff Gateway

5.3.8. Markham Centre

5.3.9. Downtown Pickering

5.3.10. Toronto: Downtown CBD