third spaces

Americans who walk around their neighborhood more than once a week are much more likely than those who seldom or never do to say they can generally trust people

there are considerable divisions in civic access across categories of educational attainment. Americans with a high school education or less are twice as likely as those with a college degree to have no access to a civic space

the discrepancy in Americans’ use of public infrastructure may come down to access.

However, not all Americans report that these places are hubs for community interaction. This may be due to a myriad of factors, including geographic challenges (e.g., few gathering places in the community), cultural issues (e.g., perceptions of non-belonging), and financial concerns (e.g., the expense of going out).

Just 17 percent of Americans report visiting a library at least once or twice a month.

Public libraries—often celebrated for their capacity to nurture civic life and bolster community participation—are not as widely used as parks.

Public libraries and parks are two of the most important parts of the country’s social infrastructure.

We find substantial disparities by educational attainment and race: For instance, black Americans without college degrees are significantly more disconnected than every other group in American life.

associational life has apparently become “a high-end good” that most people can’t access.