Volume 78 (2020): Edizione 1 (February 2020)
TEMPORÄRE RÄUMLICHE NÄHE – AKTEURE, ORTE UND INTERAKTIONEN

This article argues that temporary spatial proximity between economic agents can also have a productionrelated purpose besides knowledge generation. At the same time, due to new technological developments and trends, consumer goods are generated by temporary spatial proximity between end customers and producers. The purpose of the temporary exchange is to create material goods meeting the individual demands of the respective customer in real time. The aim of this paper is to analyse production-related temporary spatial proximity of urban manufacturing to show how production sites and locations as well as the relationship with customers are altered. Based on a literature analysis and case studies, production-related temporary spatial proximity in large companies, factories, makerspaces and festivals is examined. The results show that customers are intensively involved in the production process. Changes in the production method and location are the consequence, since it is about the production of individual pieces. In addition, production locations change, as they need to be in retail locations or housing areas, i.e. close to the market where the end consumers are. Production-oriented temporal spatial proximity between producers and consumers and associated inner-city production will not replace mass production of consumer goods. However, it is an important factor influencing the choice of business models and business locations for entrepreneurs given the current trend in the individualisation of consumer goods.

In economic geography, during the last years interest in various aspects of temporality increased, both in the context of short- as well as longer-term physical interaction constellations. Despite the empirical and theoretical differentiation of physical co-presence, two aspects have not been problematized in a sufficiently systematic fashion so far: first, the dichotomous understanding of physical co-presence (that is reduced to a binary differentiation of presence/absence) and, second, the conception of virtual co-presence as a deficient version of communication (that lacks the broad spectrum of sensual cues of face-to-face interaction). To overcome the insufficient conceptualization of co-presence we enrich our geographical argumentation with findings from adjacent disciplines and focus on the modification in communication contexts implied by virtualization. In particular, the intricate entanglement of offline and online interaction dynamics is challenging the established methodical and conceptual geographical approaches. In order to deal with these challenges, we seek to advance the time-geographic model of Torsten Hägerstrand by including the virtual dimension of interactions. The aim of our extension is the development of a methodical template that is suitable to conceptualize empirically space-time trajectories in physical, virtual and (physical-virtual) synthetic contexts. We illustrate our methodical-conceptual extension of the time-geographic model with empirical vignettes from the fields of art (music production in a studio) and science (pharmaceutical research in a laboratory).

The paper engages with the accompanying location strategies of temporary catering businesses. Hereby, the contemporary trend of so-called pop-up restaurants in Berlin emphasizes a paragon for both the ‘temporality’ and ‘eventisation’ of economic activities. Against this background, a methodology mix consisting of quantitative (generation of a database) and quantitative methods (a series of semi-structured expert interviews) provides the breeding ground for an inductive analysis of this emergent phenomenon. The latter aligns with principles of Grounded Theory and attempts to assemble the current sparse insights with regard to this subject. The results show manifold objectives when running these temporary catering businesses comprising economic (profit-seeking, advertising and brand recognition, product testing and concept design), social/societal (connecting people, staging an extraordinary experience) and personal reasons (personal and professional fulfillment). Concerning locational choice, different location strategies of pop-ups become visible in this realm: either as locational cooperatives with business and/or communicative synergies or as isolated and closed events at unusual locations, which, however, always strive for a holistic experience with a distinctive atmosphere in the sense of “valorisation of a temporarily organised uniqueness”. These trends point to imperatives of an emerging cognitive-cultural capitalism, which is based on an eventisation of economic activities exploiting both the scarce resource “attention” and the memorability of experiences.

Due to globalization processes in connection with increasing individualization and pluralization of lifestyles as well as flexible working environments, spatial mobility is increasing. A multi-local way of life, thus living in several places, is becoming more and more important. This paper presents the first results of an analysis of occupational multi-local lifestyles in rural areas. This contribution aims to identify challenges and potentials of multi-local lifestyles for operational and regional developments and to formulate associated possible fields of action for political-planning practice and entrepreneurial practice. With the help of qualitative methods, a case study analysis was carried out in the district Diepholz in Lower Saxony (Germany). The article first discusses the motives and circumstances that ensure that employees (have to) live in several places. Afterwards, the organization of everyday life and working life of the persons living in temporarily used places is explained. Furthermore, it will be shown which operational and regional framework conditions and structures influence these lifestyles, as well as the significance of job-related multi-locality for operational and regional developments.