Humans thrive when they belong to a community. These connections support our wellbeing and, in many ways, our survival. In fact, the World Health Organization recently named loneliness a “global public health concern” and launched a three-year international commission on social connection. As a result, it’s clear that how we connect—or don’t—directly affects our health. Since the beginning of time, people have relied on one another for protection, support, and joy.

Today, even though work and life look very different from our earliest days, community still drives individual, team, and organizational success. When people feel connected at work, they are more engaged, motivated, and satisfied. Moreover, Gallup reports that higher engagement leads to stronger business results, including improved wellbeing, lower turnover, an 18% increase in sales productivity, and a 23% boost in profitability. Simply put, building relationships is good for business.

Because of this, organizations can play a powerful role by creating conditions that foster community. At its core, community is built through two things: the places we inhabit and the relationships we form.

Together, relationships and the spaces that support them help communities grow. In turn, strong communities help people and organizations thrive—even during rapid change. While the NeuroLeadership Institute warns that constant change can lead to “change fatigue,” with consequences like lost productivity and disengagement, there is also opportunity. By adapting and embracing change, organizations can unlock more fulfilling work and a stronger sense of wellbeing.

“Everybody has a reason to encourage connection in the workplace. Creating relationships is not just good for individuals. It helps with job satisfaction, engagement, productivity and creativity.”

Connie Noonan HadleyFounder, Institute for Life at Work; Contributor, Harvard Business Review; Work Better Podcast S5:E1

Forces Changing Work

Four macro shifts are influencing work and changing patterns of behavior in the workplace. In some cases, the forces influencing work gradually increased over time. But in other instances, change snuck up on us.

Living on Screen 

We spend more time collaborating on screen than in person. Many people (50%) stay at their desks and join meetings virtually instead of going to the meeting room. Why come into the workplace just to work alone? Our offices can do more to encourage people to come together.

AI Supercycle

AI is changing jobs and the skills people need. Opportunities for innovation and increased productivity are crating a “supercycle” – a period of economic growth driven by emerging technologies. Leaders are willing to invest in AI and most employees use it. But many leaders admit they have a limited understanding of AI today. So, how will AI impact the workplace?

Sustainability Mindset 

The number of companies setting significant sustainability targets keeps rising. The workplace brings people together to accelerate learning and innovation. Organizations want to create workplaces that support their goals by choosing partners who understand how to create sustainable environments using products in settings designed to evolve as needs change.

Wellbeing Urgency 

While mental health is not a new issue, it is more urgent with a rise in anxiety, depression and burnout, and there are new employee expectations that organizations will take action to support mental health. Researchers and designers know that the places people work can greatly impact how people feel throughout their day.

Many organizations aren’t sure how to adapt their workplace to help employees thrive during times of change and upheaval. Leaders are looking for answers, and some are stuck — doing the same thing they have done in the past or simply doing nothing. This may explain why so many employees come to offices that look like they did five or 10 years ago which are often underutilized or underperforming. Some spaces are rarely used — or not used for their intended purpose; some lounge areas sit empty or large conference rooms are occupied by just one or two people. In other cases, people can’t find the space they need as they look for privacy or a video-enabled meeting room.

There’s a mismatch between the work being done and the places people have available to do that work. Finding the right solution is complicated by the changing patterns of office attendance. While some organizations are still settling into hybrid work patterns, others expect people to be in the office every day. But whether people connect in person daily or for the part of the week, creating a better workplace where they can optimize their time together is essential.

Steelcase data analysis indicates some changes are being made to improve the office experience. Organizations are adding privacy elements such as screens or pods. They may be getting new chairs to say “welcome back” to employees coming to the office more often. But these beginnings are just scratching the surface of what people need. Many leaders and employees miss the vibrancy and energy a great community provides.

Lessons From Urban Planning

Workplaces and cities share a common purpose: when they serve people, both thrive. However, when people are left out of future-focused decisions, both lose energy and appeal. As a result, lessons from successful urban planning can be applied to the workplace. These principles help organizations become more resilient, perform better, and flourish amid disruption.

One of the most influential thinkers in urban planning was Jane Jacobs, an activist in New York and Toronto in the mid-twentieth century. She challenged projects that replaced historic buildings and low-income neighborhoods with highways and high-rise developments. Over time, those so-called “urban renewal” efforts created spaces people avoided—and eventually abandoned.

At the heart of Jacobs’ philosophy was a simple idea: cities exist for people. She trusted communities to know what they need. Therefore, she believed neighborhoods improve when residents help shape their future. Just as cities need transportation and utilities, they also need social infrastructure. They need places to gather, connect, and interact. At the same time, they need homes that offer privacy and calm within the city’s energy. For this reason, Jacobs supported mixed-use buildings, active sidewalks, and a blend of parks, cafés, and libraries. These spaces, she observed, increased social connection and accountability. Ultimately, she saw cities as living ecosystems that must adapt and evolve.

Today, Jacobs’ ideas continue to shape how planners design resilient cities. In the same way, her principles can guide workplaces, helping people and organizations grow, adapt, and prosper.

“Community at work isn’t just about socializing; it’s about building trust and support networks that help us thrive personally and professionally.”

Jacqui BrasseyCo-leader of Healthy Workforces and Director of Research Science at the McKinsey Health Institute

Core Principles

Density
Balance bringing people close enough to connect, but not be overcrowded

Diversity
Blend different types of spaces and office layout patterns

Short Blocks
Break up any long distances between spaces to encourage people to linger

Lively Sidewalks
Create natural gathering spaces like cafes or small gardens to bring people into the open

Mixed-use Spaces
Encourage energy and convenience when you blend different functions together in one area

Community Involvement
Engage local expertise from people who “live” in the community

What is Community-Based Design?

Drawn from urban planning principles and decades of Steelcase research, Community-Based Design helps create thriving, resilient workplaces. It includes three distinct phases: understanding people’s needs, designing a range of spaces and experiences, and measuring the workplace.

Community Building Blocks

Like a vibrant city, the Community-Based Design method recommends a range of spaces within mixed-use “districts” to create dynamic, inspiring workplaces. These districts offer people choice and control, support multiple types of work and promote wellbeing. This pragmatic approach to workplace design creates more desirable spaces that get used more often and are easier to adapt when it’s necessary to make a change.

Creating communities begins with understanding people and how they work. Those work activities determine the types of settings and spaces needed to get work done. These are the building blocks of community. Settings perform better when clustered together in mixed-use “districts” that offer a range of spaces to support related types of work. The five districts create the physical infrastructure of a thriving community.

While each district supports a primary type of work, it also gives people a variety of places to work in different ways—to focus, collaborate, socialize, learn and rejuvenate.

Workplace districts are inspired by urban planning. A thriving workplace consists of five districts, comprising of a range of spaces designed to support different kinds of work. While each district supports a primary type of work, it also gives people a variety of places to work in different ways—to focus, collaborate, socialize, learn and rejuvenate.

City Center A social hub that is the heart of the community — a centralized connection point that draws people to help them build bonds and trust.	Neighborhoods A home base for individuals and teams — a place where the heads-down work gets done and teams stay connected.
Business District A diverse range of shared spaces where people come together to meet, share, brainstorm and collaborate — an environment that sparks creativity and innovation.	University District A communal area dedicated to individual and group learning that supports both structured and informal experiences — a place to foster a culture of lifelong learning.
Urban Parks Community destinations where people can find respite and rejuvenation — places to renew and care for their wellbeing.

Community-Based Design Works Better

Community is the glue that holds people together during times of change and adversity. When people feel a sense of community, they are far more likely to be engaged and productive, have higher levels of wellbeing and achieve better results. The workplace is a strategic asset organizations can use as the infrastructure for building community. But today it doesn’t always meet the changing ways people are working.

Getting started is not difficult. You can begin one space at a time or choose to apply Community-Based Design principles to create one or two districts.

The forces changing work today are impacting organizations of all sizes. Community-Based Design can be scaled up or down to support new patterns of behavior in the workplace. It creates flexible and adaptable spaces that provide more value over time. The important thing is to take the first step.