>[!abstract] >A **third place** is the sociological concept of a physical location where people can gather and socialize, that is distinct from the first place (the home) and the second place (work). The term was coined by American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1932–2022) in his book *The great good place* ([[Oldenburg, 1989]]) which explores how cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangout places provide both individual benefits and a greater good. While the the home is isolating, and the workplace mission-driven, the third place has no formal purpose but fulfills an essential civic role in avoiding isolation and ideological polarization. ## Characteristics To qualify as a third place, a public place must possess the following characteristics (adapted from [[Oldenburg, 1989]]): 1. Open and inviting: come and go as you please. 2. Comfortable and informal: come as you are. 3. Convenient: near the home or workplace. 4. Unpretentious: affordable, egalitarian, and inclusive. 5. Familiar: sense of continuity from regulars, incl. a host who greets everyone. 6. Conversational: conducive to open discussions. 7. Light-hearted: the atmosphere is one of laughter and playfulness. ## The Starbucks example Starbucks started out with the intent to offer a third place between home and work (and vice versa), with the comfort of home (comfortable sitting, nice coffee), the practicality of the office (WiFi, tables), and the social aspect of a gathering and meeting spot. The original ethos got diluted at some point (mobile-only order mechanisms, drive-throughs, increased focus on efficiency, etc.). The current strategy of the brand is to reimagine stores to become cozy gathering spots once again and reignite values of community and connection. ## Threats to third places There exist threats to third places, such as the suburbanization which increases the distance between the first and second places (leading to a higher propensity to commute straight back home after work, to a suburban community that is entirely residential and lacks gathering places); and COVID-19 lockdowns, and even remote working that can remove opportunities to be outside after working hours, among others. ## Virtual third places Third places can be virtual, such as online chatrooms in MMORPGs or social networks, to the extent that they match the characteristics listed above. Anonymous avatars, for example, contribute to the egalitarian and inclusive aspect. >[!quote] >Third places the world over share common and essential features. As one’s investigations cross the boundaries of time and culture, the kinship of the Arabian coffeehouse, the German *bierstube*, the Italian *taberna*, the old country store of the American frontier, and the ghetto bar reveals itself. As one approaches each example, determined to describe it in its own right, an increasingly familiar pattern emerges. The eternal sameness of the third place overshadows the variations in its outward appearance and seems unaffected by the wide differences in cultural attitudes toward the typical gathering places of informal public life. The beer joint in which the middle-class American takes no pride can be as much a third place as the proud Viennese coffeehouse. It is a fortunate aspect of the third place that its capacity to serve the human need for communion does not much depend upon the capacity of a nation to comprehend its virtues ([[Oldenburg, 1989]], p. 20). >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): [[Shedagogy]] >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): [[Fourth place]] ![[related.base|no-toolbar]]