Empty business spaces can often remain vacant for years, leaving valuable pieces of real estate completely wasted along with voids in communities but CultureHouse is changing this with its pop-up communal spaces. CultureHub's pop-up hubs are places where people can work and meet with friends, or gather at night for live music and movies. To foster connections of all sorts, CultureHouse describes itself as "a living room for the community" where everyone is invited to hang out without feeling pressured to many any kind of purchase.
Currently, CultureHouse has two pop-ups open in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Harvard Square location is situated in the Out of Town News Kiosk, which will be renovated in the spring and summer of 2020. As CultureHouse says, "we will be keeping the kiosk active in the intermediary before the renovation begins."
Pop-Up Communal Spaces
CultureHouse Turns Vacant Storefronts Into Temporary Usable Spaces
Trend Themes
1. Pop-up Communal Spaces - Disruptive innovation opportunities include creating competitive pop-up spaces with unique themes and partnerships in untapped neighborhoods.
2. Community-led Real Estate Development - Disruptive innovation opportunities include developing real estate projects that are collaborative, inclusive and contribute to the regeneration of communities.
3. Socially Responsible Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunities include creating retail spaces that prioritize community engagement and cultural events above profit.
Industry Implications
1. Real Estate - Disruptive innovation opportunities include repurposing underutilized and vacant commercial spaces into temporary pop-up hubs for community engagement.
2. Hospitality - Disruptive innovation opportunities include creating pop-up hospitality spaces that provide a platform for local artists, chefs and entertainers.
3. Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunities include creating pop-up retail spaces that support local entrepreneurs and artisans, while fostering community engagement.