Why are third places important?

In today’s fast-paced, digitally connected world, third places are lacking. The University of Chicago defines third places as areas unrelated to school, work, or even your home. It’s a place to converse with strangers socially and have the opportunity to create new friendships

Why it’s Important?

Current society lacks third places, especially as the influence of our phones becomes apparent in our daily lives. Without third places, there is no area where people can affirm their identities and build empathy for identities different from our own (Roberts-Ganim, 2023). Connecting with other communities in these third places creates a greater sense of support for each other.

However, with the diminishing of these third places, America's culture stands on individualism and a capitalistic system. This causes us to become individualized rather than community-oriented because of the disconnection between communities. This individualism makes us feel isolated and alone, which negatively impacts us.

Benefit To Third Places

Third places that focus on the community and the communications between them benefit people as they allow them to improve and develop behavioural and social skills. For example, Shankar Institute states that an environment that influences a person's ability to spend time with their peers and emphasizes community will require the individual to think of themselves both individually and collectively (Beal, 2024).

These benefits all support the individual as they grow up into an adult, while having the benefits of “a sense of warmth, conviviality, and that special kind of human sustenance we call community” (Christensen & Oldenburg, 2023, paras. 2).

Conclusion

Third places might not be the answer to everything, and a popular topic to talk about, but it is the glue that holds people together. In a time where we individuality is favoured, welcoming spaces remind us the importance of connections and having places to go to, not for productivity or out of responsibility, but for a chance to create community .

Works Cited

Beal, J. (2024, September 24). What are third places and why do they matter?. Shanker Institute. https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/what-are-third-places-and-why-do-they-matter

Oldenburg, R., & Christensen, K. (2023, March 22). Third Places, true citizen spaces. Ray Oldenburg & Karen Christensen: third places, true citizen spaces | The UNESCO Courier. https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/third-places-true-citizen-spaces

Roberts-Ganim, M. (2023, November 1). Third places: What are they and why are they important to American culture?. English Language Institute. https://esl.uchicago.edu/2023/11/01/third-places-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important-to-american-culture/