His publishing house is one of many in New York, the capital of the book world, that have recently moved or renovated, or are in the process of doing so. The industry has a reputation for being bound by tradition; it is committed to print in a world going digital and is still conducting business essentially the way it has for decades. But companies are embracing the changes in workplace design that have modernized other industries.

“They’re no different from any other industry,” said James A. Schwartz , founder of the project management company JAS Consulting, which has assisted several publishers with moves. “They’re just slow.”

Publishing houses have been in New York for centuries. Early last century, they were concentrated on Fifth Avenue between 13th and 23rd Streets — an area nicknamed Paternoster Row, a nod to London’s old publishing district. Today, their footprint extends to the upper reaches of Midtown Manhattan. But recently, rents in Lower Manhattan have been averaging around $63 a square foot, compared with about $75 a square foot in Midtown, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

“What is a trend in the publishing world is to relocate to a lower-cost environment, which means going downtown,” said Leon Manoff , a vice chairman of Colliers International, a commercial real estate firm that has worked with publishers.