Sub-themes

Corporate accommodation takes place in a tension between private and public interests. On the one hand there is the company that is looking for suitable premises for its activities. On the other hand, there is the community that wants to maximize the benefits of accommdating corporations on its territory and limit the adverse effects of it. Both actors use a varied range of strategies to reach these goals. The realization of certain configurations of business premises occurs at the intersection of the strategies of the city and the organisation.

The Corporations and Cities' research is organised around five sub-themes, that are explored through cases and theoretical analyses.  

  • Organizational strategies and urban planning goals
  • Image, branding and representation
  • Agglomeration strategies and location choices
  • History and future
  • Managing symbiosis

Organizational strategies and urban planning goals

What are the synergies and conflicts between corporate logic and urban planning strategies? What are the organizational features – including security, mixed-usage, integration and fragmentation – that subsequently impact location and accommodation strategies? What are the goals of urban planning and urban renewal? What are synergies and conflicts between urban development and corporate real estate strategies?

Image, branding and representation

What is the role of corporate real estate in producing urban quality? How is corporate identity influenced by corporate real estate decisions and the urban context? Is there a role for corporate real estate in enhancing urban quality? What is the significance of corporate outsourcing on urban development?

Image, branding and representation

What is the role of corporate real estate in producing urban quality? How is corporate identity influenced by corporate real estate decisions and the urban context? Is there a role for corporate real estate in enhancing urban quality? What is the significance of corporate outsourcing on urban development?

Agglomeration strategies and location choices

What are (dis)advantages of corporate accommodation clustering? What are the needs, advantages and risks of corporate accommodation clustering strategies such as corporate cities, special economic zones and business parks? What is the impact of organizational urban planning models on mixed-use versus mono-functional development? How and why do urban amenities, cultural life and city image attract corporate headquarters? How do local choices affect global outsourcing, labor availability and retention, and peripheral mobility?

History and future

To what extent have corporate accommodation decisions shaped cities and what about the future? What is the impact of urban planning on corporate real estate throughout history and today? To what extent are cities the by-product of corporate decisions? What are emerging corporate real estate visions related to rising urban concepts?

Managing symbiosis

How to foster symbiosis between the corporate accommodation strategies of cities and corporations? Can urban renewal support corporate real estate goals and vice versa? What are the conflicts, synergies and alliances between corporate strategies and urban governance in the development of large-scale urban projects? What tools may be developed to construct sustainable relations and trigger synergy with various urban constituencies?