Placemaking with purpose: how AI-driven insights can unlock office attendance

The workplace is evolving rapidly to adapt to changing employee expectations. In response, organisations are looking for smarter, more dynamic strategies to keep pace with these changes. While some companies have opted for a top-down approach by mandating office returns, others are choosing a more considered path by designing work environments and experiences that draw people into the office by choice.

This more human-centred approach demands a deeper understanding of what employees truly value in their working environments. To meet individual employee needs, organisations are beginning to experiment with data-driven workplace analytics and using insights to shape spaces that are not only fit for purpose today but can flex and adapt as demands change over time.

The Crown Estate is applying this approach on a macro-level – using an AI enabled tool called Placemaking AI to really understand what visitors want from its entire London portfolio. Using data-driven insights the platform helps decision-makers anticipate needs and design experiences and spaces that truly work for people.

Placemaking AI uses real-time data to analyse visitor behaviour, sentiment, and engagement across The Crown Estate’s Central London portfolio. But beyond retail and public spaces, this approach offers valuable lessons for workplace leaders who want to create dynamic, responsive office environments.

AI-Driven insights for better workplaces

One of the biggest challenges in workplace design is understanding how people use space. The Crown Estate leverages Placemaking AI to ethically track visitor patterns, identify trends, and create personas that reflect different user behaviours. This allows them to tailor experiences in ways that feel natural and engaging.

In the workplace, AI-driven insights can help organisations do the same by analysing space usage, collaboration trends and employee preferences. In this context, workplace leaders can see which areas of an office are underused or when employees are most likely to need quiet focus time versus social interaction. With AI, companies can make informed decisions about office layouts, flexible seating and hybrid working strategies that genuinely support the way people work.

Personalised and adaptive environments

The Crown Estate has used AI insights to reshape traditional retail concepts, from modernising Jermyn Street’s office-wear offerings to curating a wellness-focused tenant mix in Quadrant Arcade. The insights produced by Placemaking AI offer suggestions on how the space could evolve in response to changing expectations.

For workplaces, this means moving away from rigid office setups and adopting an adaptive approach. AI can help organisations understand how different teams prefer to work and the types of spaces they need to conduct their work. Workplace leaders can ask AI-generated personas about their needs and preferences based on real data to anticipate future changes in the workplace.

Data-backed decision making

The Crown Estate has integrated Placemaking AI to support smarter, faster decision-making for different use cases including for leasing strategies, marketing campaigns and site improvements. This data-led approach reduces guesswork and helps ensure investments are aligned with real needs.

Workplace leaders can take a similar approach. AI can be used to model different office configurations, test engagement strategies and predict workforce trends. By using data to validate decisions before making changes, organisations can avoid costly redesigns and create workspaces that truly work for employees.

Diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing

A standout feature of The Crown Estate and Placemaking AI’s approach is its focus on inclusivity. The tool helps identify bias in design decisions such as temperature settings that cater more to men’s comfort levels and ensures that spaces meet a broad range of needs.

This is particularly relevant for workplaces striving to create inclusive environments. AI can reveal hidden gaps in accessibility, ergonomics and workplace experience that might otherwise go unnoticed. By analysing diverse datasets and employee feedback, organisations can design workplaces that are welcoming for everyone, supporting different work styles and wellbeing needs.

Ethical and responsible AI use

With AI playing an increasing role in workplace experience, ethical data use is more important than ever. The Crown Estate ensures its AI-driven insights align with GDPR regulations and undergo rigorous bias audits, an approach that should be standard in workplace AI adoption as well.

For organisations looking to use AI in workplace analytics, whether to monitor space utilisation, measure engagement, or personalise employee experiences, transparency and ethical considerations must be prioritised. AI should be used to empower employees, not to track them unfairly or unknowingly.

Anticipating future needs

The Crown Estate’s success with Placemaking AI highlights how data-driven insights can shape places that people want to be. In the workplace, AI can help businesses move beyond traditional office models and create environments that adapt to the changing world of work.

With AI-powered insights, organisations can ensure their workplaces are not just efficient, but engaging, inclusive and designed for evolving expectations.

Read the full case study here.