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2021: Creating a Lexicon of Future
T is for Third Places
Third places is a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg and refers to places where people spend time between home (‘first’ place) and work (‘second’ place). They are locations where we exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships.~ Third Places as Community Builders
Oldenburg’s third place research is based around the primary social spaces that people occupy: work and home being first and second. While work is a structured and formal social experience and home is a private experience, third places are more relaxed environments in which people feel comfortable and to which they return time and again to socialize, to relax, and to enjoy the company of those around them. A cohort of regulars is what makes a third place.~ It’s time to take back third places
Examples of Third Places
Third Places are generally inexpensive places where people come together and life happens. In other words, they’re a community’s living room.
Third places can be…
- Churches
- Coffee shops
- Gyms
- Hair salons
- Post offices
- Main streets
- Bars, beer gardens
- Bookstores
- Parks
- Community centers
