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Achieving Post-Pandemic Community
Should ‘Third Places’ Lead the Way?
Today we move from “place triggers” (my last post) to creating positive places.
In the post-pandemic search for resurgent community connection, place activation, and purpose, the longstanding idea of third places is making a comeback.
At least three Substack authors, Karen Christensen, Colin Marshall, and John Tibbit have recently addressed urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s 1989 classic book about third places, The Great Good Place. Even better, Christensen — Oldenberg’s longtime collaborator — is working on a new project, dedicated to adapting the book to today’s world.
What are third places? Think of informal public spaces (or commercial places that foster community) where people gather, socialize, and interact outside their homes (first places) and workplaces (second places). In addition to bookstores, they include cafes, libraries, parks, community centers, and grocery stores.
A Construct
In Seattle, the city government and the Downtown Seattle Association continue to build on the “Amazon Great Return” through various strategies to reactivate downtown. While attempts to maintain safety and deter drug trafficking remain, increased foot traffic, intriguing office-to-residence retrofit…
