Third Places
Perhaps third places like cafes, bars, salons, and the public spaces aforementioned, can continue existing as spaces with lite community vibes. But to illuminate a new category of community third spaces that strive to go deeper, we’ll need to create with more intention and concoct a new name.
Let’s call it the “fourth place.”
We have homes as first... See more
Let’s call it the “fourth place.”
We have homes as first... See more
Patricia Mou • introducing "the fourth place" & why "third places" have fallen short on their promise
The field of urban planning first introduced the concept of public spaces that bond or bridge. The former serves to aid similar individuals to meet and reinforce ties. The latter bridges diverse people together to coexist and broaden one another’s perspectives.
Patricia Mou • introducing "the fourth place" & why "third places" have fallen short on their promise
“There is more than shelter against the raindrops of life’s tedium and more than a breather on the sidelines of the rat race to be had amid the company of a third place. Its real merits do not depend upon being harried by life, afflicted by stress, or needing time out from gainful activities. The escape theme is not erroneous in substance but in
... See more“When we allow ourselves greater freedom in space and place than has come to be the norm, we create our own pathways of meaning and knowledge upon the land where we dwell. Wandering freely, we garner landmarks, presences, ecological awareness, a sense of kithship. Our brains and our hearts alike gather this knowledge as we become intimate with the
... See more“Places are ingested into the body, being literally embodied, when food is eaten.”
-Ben Coles
So what’s replaced hangouts in the city? In many cases, I’d consider them ersatz third places: establishments that are either too expensive for the average American or apparently designed to disincentivize lingering. Think carefully curated faux dive bars that serve $15 beer-and-shot specials, or parks like New York’s High Line that are built to be... See more
Allie Conti • We Really Should Hang Out More Often
A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To... See more
Maria Popova • How to Find Fulfilling Work
In his 1995 book Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity, French anthropologist Marc Augé defines "non-places" as spaces of transience that lack sufficient meaning to be considered genuine "anthropological places". Unlike traditional places, which are rich with historical memory, social relations, and identity, non-places are... See more