Coliving Research & Trends

Publications, Market Reports & Insights

This page offers an overview of coliving research, reports, trends and insights. Below you will find a curated list exploring social value, sustainability, community engagement, business models, policy, regulations, technology and more.

Research into coliving, a nascent residential typology, is important. This is given its growth trajectory and potential for helping solve some of the key global challenges we face today.

So let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents: Coliving Research
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    The Coliving Industry: Growth, Trends & Data

    Coliving research across different geographies

    • For a focus on the European market, see ULI and JLL’s European Coliving Best Practice Guide. Their Best Practice Guide has been formulated to provide greater insight into the rapidly evolving coliving sector across Europe – and to provide an expert view on market-leading examples of best practice in the sector. It also aims to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities coliving offers. You can also take a look at CBRE’s Europe Co-living Report, which highlights key European cities where a high demand for coliving has been identified. 
    • For UK-based information on the shared living sector, consult Savills’ Spotlight: UK Coliving, and CBRE’s Co-living in London 2022 report. These reports show that there is a huge demand for coliving in the UK, and that there has been significant investment in the sector in London and other UK cities. For insights into operations, customers and investment, see Harris Associates’ and VervLife’s 2023 Co-living Report.  Plus, you can download The Shared Living Survey 2021, prepared by Matt Baker.
    • For a look at the US market, see Cushman & Wakefield’s Coliving During COVID-19 report. In addition, Diana Lind’s 2019 book Brave New Home tells the story of the rise of suburban housing in the US. The book explores how housing options such as coliving may provide answers to changing lifestyles.

    Research on Coliving's Social & Environmental Value

    • Some coliving operators have led the way in showing their social value through impact reporting. Hospitality/PBSA/coliving hybrid The Social Hub (formerly The Student Hotel), for instance, focuses on both their ecological footprint and social footprint. The Social Hub have aligned their impact with some of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. You can read The Social Hub’s 2020/2021 impact report here.
    • The 2018 collection of essays on Coliving and the Common Good, commissioned by the RSA, explores how coliving might solve modern living challenges, with a focus on urban spaces. 

    Research on Coliving and Wellbeing

    • The Happy by Design Toolkit: With easy-to-understand tips, real-world examples and over 100 hand-drawn illustrations, this book helps you to create happier places – from individual homes and workplaces to landscaping and urban design. It explores how factors, such as lighting, comfort, control over our environments and access to nature, exercise and social interaction, can impact how we feel. We also suggest you read Ben Channon’s first book Happy By Design.
       
    • Official findings from the IKEA’s Life at Home Report, reveals how home shapes people’s lives and wellbeing around the world. One statistic shows that 67% of people living in coliving experienced a positive impact on their mental wellbeing thanks to strong community connections. 

    Community Facilitation & Engagement

    • The Community Facilitation Handbook offers strategies, tools and practices to help make communities flourish. This resource, which was a winner of the 2021 Coliving Awards for best thought leadership piece, is available to download for free here
    • Technology also plays a key role in facilitating community and creating a great resident experience. Explore the Coliving Apps, Software & Tech Guide to learn about tech best practices and key tech players in coliving.
    • Coliving Insights’ sixth edition, Fostering Thriving Communities in Shared Living brings together coliving research from: operators, experience designers, consultancies, tech platforms, community builders and more. Its focus is an exploration of how best to foster authentic communities in coliving.
    • Responding to the Rise of Solo Living, an article by Anwyn Hocking based on her master’s thesis research, looks at the experience of community in large, purpose-built shared living. Hocking’s explores the nuances of community life, depicting its positives and negatives.

    Coliving Architecture & Design

    Coliving Research on Business Models

    • For an overview of coliving business models, common challenges and best practices, check out the Conscious Coliving Coliving Business Model resource.
    • Industry magazine Coliving Insights’ fourth publication, Invest, Develop, Operate and Scale, explores and showcases best business practice through the voices of those in the sector.
    • See a breakdown of the numbers: this City(;ifer blog shows a developer’s case study of coliving vs. traditional apartments.

    Coliving Policy & Regulations

    • Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC) is a non-profit organization focused on housing and planning policy in New York City. Their simple guide, Making Shared Housing Work, pulls out core themes. According to shared housing practitioners, these themes should be considered by operators and regulators.
    • The Large-scale Purpose-built Shared Living (LSPBSL) guidance developed by the Greater London Authority provides information on how to apply London Plan Policy H16 to ensure the development of these spaces in a way that is of good quality, well-managed and integrated into their surroundings.

    Coliving Technology, Software & Apps

    • The Coliving Mobile Apps Survey is a collaborative research project to understand how operators are using mobile apps to optimise resident user and community experience. You can fill out the survey here.

    Publications & Media

    • Coliving Insights: industry publications that explore innovative initiatives throughout the coliving sector.
    • The Art of Coliving: Gui Perdrix, director of Co-Liv and founder of Art of Co., carried out extensive coliving research for years. Recently, Gui released a fantastic workbook, guide and companion. This wonderful book helps understand, think and create life-enhancing coliving spaces at scale.

    Podcasts

    • Running from 2018 to 2021, The Coliving Code podcast by coliving tech entrepreneur, Christine McDannell, has interviews from over 120 coliving industry leaders, founders and investors. 
    • Non-profit coliving organisation, Co-Liv, began turning their numerous online meet-ups into podcasts. Co-Liv’s meetup are a great way for you to deepen your coliving research. You can listen to The Co-Liv Podcast here.
    • Conscious Coliving’s podcast, Coliving Conversations, shines a light on projects, people and places that are pioneering the coliving movement. The show will highlight common challenges and innovative solutions regarding: community, wellbeing, sustainability, technology, and business models of coliving.

    Looking for Support on Coliving Research & Reports?

    We specialize in carrying out, summarizing and presenting top-notch research for events, conferences, studies and reports.

    We can provide you with specific research for your shared living endeavors and/or work with members of your team to offer additional research capabilities and expertise.

    In addition, we also offer research based speaking and writing engagements

    Further Coliving Research

    Feel free to share with us any latest research developments you find relevant. This page will evolve over time. 

    Finally, if you want to stay up to date on the latest coliving research subscribe to Conscious Coliving’s emails ✉️

    We hope you found this overview of coliving related research useful! 

    This guide has been co-authored for you by:

    Penny is passionate about the potential for shared living. She has a doctorate in sustainability and shared living, and an MSc in social research methods. She conducts research and consults on shared living projects.

    Transformational Coach and facilitator. Trainer in mindfulness, sharing circles, and how to live and lead more consciously. Co-author of the Community Facilitation Handbook and the Coliving Apps & Tech Guide. Facilitates community engagement strategies.

    Matt is responsible for designing community experience and impact strategies and measuring the social value of coliving communities. Matt is also a founding member and current Head of Community of Co-Liv and has worked for The Collective on their Impact Team.

    If you found this guide useful, please consider sharing it with others 😊 🙏

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