What is a Third Place? Beyond the Buzzword to True Social Connection

Our communities are starting to feel the absence of places where people can go to meet with friends, have informal exchanges with acquaintances, or just get out of the house. These are what are often called “third places,” the places other than our homes (first places) and workplaces (second places) in which our social lives play out.

In what is widely considered the foundational text on third places, The Great Good Place, author Ray Oldenburg devised the term as “a generic designation for a great variety of public places that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.” Emphasising that these places are inclusive and have strong local ties, Oldenburg describes them as places that “offer both the basis of community and the celebration of it.” They are the accessible, everyday places that we go to unwind, to catch up, to feel involved in the goings-on of our neighbourhood.

So how do we find and create genuine third places to connect outside of our home and work life? These critical social spaces are defined first and foremost by the activities that take place there and the benefits of those activities. This article is a guide to breaking down how third places really work.

Read the full article here.

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