Digital 52 2️⃣9️⃣ - Running a makerspace for a niche community, Educating, Growing in Impact, Downsizing the space: The Story of Brooklyn Shoe Space.

Are you ready to make your way to New York to discover a new type of collaborative space targeted at… shoemakers?
Education - Less than 150 sqm - Niche Communities
Read the full story of “Brooklyn Shoe Space” on page 246 of “Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces”.
While exploring the world of community-driven spaces, we have discovered that the coworking model can actually be effective for many communities, even those we might not think about. The space we are about to introduce you to is one such example. In 2017, we spent several weeks in New York and visited nearly 50 coworking spaces. Some were located in churches or warehouses, some were targeting designers, and one of them was made for... shoemakers. When we first discovered Brooklyn Shoe Space, the space we are about to showcase, I recall how fascinated Dimitar was. Prior to Coworkies, Dimitar had actually designed shoes, a fact that made discovering this community feel like connecting two of his passions. During our visit to one of the iterations of Brooklyn Shoe Space (which we will be discussing later in this article), we were impressed by the team's efforts to democratize the art of shoemaking. Although the space was not large, it was well-designed and highly functional. But how did the idea of creating a coworking space specifically for shoemakers come about? How does it operate? And what does growth look like for this type of environment? You are about to find out.