When I rewatch some of my favorite shows, and pay close attention to them, there is a particular feature that emerges as a popular theme. The characters in the show Friends often hang out at the Central Perk cafe; meanwhile, the characters in How I Met Your Mother have a bar where they regularly frequent with their friends and family. No matter what goes on in their lives they always find time to hang out at these places.
There are many other shows that follow this theme of there being a place where main characters go to spend time and socialize, external to their place of work. This is usually where they build the most meaningful connections and have fun. When I began to research more about this, I realized that many people discuss this phenomenon in the realm of mental health. This concept of a safe, community-building public space has been the subject of many articles and videos; it is a term that has come to be known as a “third place.”
The “third place” is a term coined by US sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place. It describes a location that isn’t one’s place of work or home; it is a comfortable middle, where you can relax and get together without any pre-set expectations. Many scholars argue that the reason people tend to feel lonely or unhappy nowadays is because most do not have a third place to visit and instead, they continuously limit themselves to their workplaces and homes, hindering their ability to feel a proper sense of belonging or community. They live their life between these two places, because in most cities, there is simply nowhere else to go.
There are a couple of Characteristics that make up the essence of a third place. For instance, a third place is a neutral ground. People are there because they want to be there. They are free to come and go, with no consequences. It is intended to be a reprieve from your first and second places, which would most likely be your home and workplace. The third place is unstructured and flexible, unlike your first and second place.
Many Scholars who study loneliness in modern society have agreed that the amount of time we engage in leisure activities has significantly decreased. Life without a proper community has produced, for many, a lifestyle consisting mainly of a home-to-work and back shuttle. We are working more than ever nowadays, to pay for our mounting expenses, and as a result, our sense of community and comfort has been effected.
Third places provide a space for us to be ourselves and recharge without the pressures of everyday life. Unfortunately, cities are not designed with the concept of community in mind. Hence, it might not always be easy to get to a third place, due to difficulty commuting, public transport issues, etc. This is part of the reason why university caA third place is intended to be an antidote to isolation or loneliness. It allows us to restore our connection to other people, to ourselves and our environment. It can be an anchor of the community and it is usually a, “public setting that hosts frequent and informal gatherings of people.”
Third places allow people to put aside their general worries and concerns and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them. Oldenburg, in his book, explains that main streets, pubs, cafes, coffeehouses, and other such places are the heart of a community’s, ‘Social vitality’.
n be an enjoyable experience, as it provides a walkable community for everyone, which isn’t always how modern cities are designed. It provides students with many spaces to simply exist and have a good time with people around them.
The importance of third places remains prevalent even today since these places help us stay connected to our community. Furthermore, this importance extends to post-pandemic society. During the pandemic, almost everyone worked remotely; which meant they would leave their house less often. This was one of the primary reasons for many people’s struggles with their mental health. It became hard to separate their home and their place of work, and this made work-life balance complicated. This leads to another crucial use of third places: they serve as a separation. They help us separate aspects of our life and allow us to simply exist for a while, without having any commitments or places to be.
To get the most out of third places, it is important to find one you enjoy frequenting. It is valuable to find your interests, and to discover a location that fulfills your needs. The location must be the most convenient for you, in terms of distance and familiarity. The key is to find somewhere you feel most welcome.
In addition to this, cities must make an effort to create more conditions for third places to thrive. There are many things that can be done: for instance, free wifi can turn many places into meeting points for people of all ages. As one article by the Vox mentions, small design changes can encourage interaction between groups that might otherwise be cut off from each other. Introducing new measures like these can be an essential part of trying to revive neighborhoods and help people grow their network.