Examining how digital nomads in rural communities and co-livings can support socio-economic growth is vital in understanding and analysis the benefits of this type of project to rural regeneration. This article was written in co-operation with Stella Gonzalez Alfonso.

Article Highlights:

• Importance of co-living for rural development

• Co-living selection factors and target market

• Interaction between co-living residents and local communities over barriers for rural co-living experiences

• Specializing in target audiences

• Final remarks: Mixing Technology and tradition to revitalize rural villages

What is rural co-living and why is it important for rural development?

While coworking is a term everybody came to know, coliving can still raise a few eyebrows, despite being a concept that is far from new. In fact, it started to appear in the 19th Century, as a form of affordable living arrangement among people who were unrelated to each other. 

Digital nomadism’s coliving is, however, very different: what was once perceived as a necessity for students and low-income professionals is now transforming into a much more contemporary experience. 

Many are the urban areas where co-living spaces are already known to the digital nomad community, while rural coliving is slowly starting to boom as a measure to attract skilled talent and reactivate the economy in peripheral regions. 

As a result of a two-week stay at SENDE, a rural coliving known for its sustainable efforts located in Senderiz, Galicia (Spain), Remote Work expert Rowena Hennigan analyses the rural coliving environment not only as an opportunity to reconnect with nature and local communities but also as a working arrangement. 

What are the advantages and limitations of choosing a rural coliving? 

Living & working from a remote area

While some digital nomads and location independent workers can easily adapt to any condition due to their work needs, Rowena represents an increasing market with specific needs of workspace. As a professor, speaker and lecturer on the future of work, she often presents online keynotes and training sessions. Therefore, a reliable internet connection, dedicated areas, and quiet meeting rooms to deliver conferences and discuss confidential work plans are paramount. 

While working hours may be more solitary, one of the advantages of being in a coliving is sharing common spaces with like-minded people, fostering conversation and collaboration. Cooking and sharing a meal with other residents was, for Rowena, a key moment at Sende: the opportunity to taste different dishes meant connecting with people’s stories and learning from their experiences. In fact, the design of common spaces is paramount to a successful coliving experience: “the kitchen environment, for example, is key to promote the magic that can only occur when cooking together”, said Rowena. 

Working and living together: who are the co-livers? 

With an average stay of one month, people tend to research coliving locations where they are likely to find professionals with similar interests. According to Rowena “sharing similar values is essential as your daily routines and conversations happen with the co-livers. As a matter of fact, finding vegetarians at SENDE was definitely beneficial. Another upside is that SENDE attracts mostly freelancers; as an independent consultant “I always look for collaborations and finding them where you are staying and working is particularly convenient”. Additionally, she highlighted that SENDE is not as easily accessible as other coliving locations, so people who arrive there are committed to SENDE’s vision of bringing sustainable development to the village.  

Fostering collaboration among co-livers and the local community

Today’s typical worker is very different from only a few years back. The always-on-the-move lifestyle, remote working and travel can limit both housing and networking options, even in a globally connected world with tech at our fingertips. Coliving spaces promise to fill this void: they build communities and a sense of belonging, providing a physical space to interact with other like-minded people.

If you are an active networker like Rowena, a coliving can be the place to find new “gigs”, to start new collaborations or even new ventures, as was the case for some of the co-livers at SENDE, who shared how their entrepreneurial projects were born from the collaboration between creative minds residing at the coliving. This type of interaction is often promoted by the coliving itself, with activities and moments of interactions organised to make sure co-livers do more than sharing common spaces. SENDE, for example, has a particular activity called "Hat talks," where co-livers can volunteer to share their knowledge or their projects. 

However, unless there is a proactive effort to engage with locals, coliving spaces may run the risk of becoming a self-centred bubble for digital nomads. “The role of the coliving host is very important: this person is there to facilitate the communication between co-livers and the local community”, pointed out Rowena. At SENDE, “the host put me in touch with local producers, from whom I was able to buy local products such as pollen, aniseed and honey”. 

Language can always be a barrier. In Rowena’s case, speaking Spanish definitely facilitated her interaction with locals, making her feel welcome and part of the village. But any small gesture and a willingness to know more about the local culture can bring down many walls. 

Challenges of choosing a Rural Coliving

Poor internet connection, limited public transportation and access to supermarkets, pharmacies, and cafés can be discouraging. However, the value that rural coliving can offer over these barriers is the opportunity to be relaxed, open to new experiences and really contribute to the economic rebirth of remote villages. Managing high expectations before arrival is essential, so communicate with the coliving host about the infrastructure in the area and how the experience can allow you to enjoy while working in a mindful environment” shared Rowena. 

Specific Target Markets for Coliving

Rowena considers herself a growing segment of the coliving market due to her mature career stage and specific work needs. Mainly, Rowena represents those mothers who would like to find coliving locations suitable for their children. For this reason, Rowena shared her interest in experiencing coliving spaces that are more permanent and receive slightly older profiles with families. Rowena believes in the power of rural coliving experiences and in how people could come back regularly and rent houses nearby. Finally, coliving hosts should consider professionals like Rowena as an exceptional profile who could bring long-lasting impacts in the reactivation of depopulated areas of Spain by bringing their own families. 

Final Remarks: how a new generation of workers can revitalize rural areas

Over the past decades, a shrinking population has become the normal trajectory for many rural regions as agriculture has been restructured and population and employment have become increasingly concentrated in urban centers. In Spain alone, tiny rural towns are suffering the slow, steady ravages of depopulation, a phenomenon that threatens more than half of the country’s surface area. 

At the same time, cities become overcrowded, causing many problems for the housing market while leaving citizens with unhealthy working and life conditions. 

The rise of entrepreneurial villages and rural coworking spaces can alter this trend: a number of professionals and entrepreneurs are already part of this movement, relocating their businesses to the countryside and funding their new projects based on the local economy. 

As Rowena concluded, “rural coliving, by mixing technology and tradition, can have a deep impact in the revitalization of their rural home villages”.