When you’re not at work or at home, where do you spend the most time? Your answer to this question may vary based on where you live, your life stage, and your interests, but there’s a good chance that it’s a public (or semi-public) space with opportunities for interaction with other people. Most of us spend a majority of our waking hours at work (or at school) but where we spend our free time can really impact our mental health. These spaces are sometimes referred to as “third places” and can include public parks, local library branches, and fitness centers. Let’s dive more into the utility of public space, the importance of “third places,” and how these contribute to our emotional well-being.
Public Space
Let’s start with public space, which is any place that is open and accessible to the public. These areas include sidewalks, roads, town squares, public parks, and beaches. Some government-run settings like libraries and post offices can also be considered public space, but they have some restrictions around entry, such as set business hours. Public space is free to all and may be man-made or natural. You may not realize it, but you probably spend a lot of time in public spaces! These open and democratized spaces allow for casual interactions and moments of connection. An intentional example of this is NYC’s Open Streets initiative, which blocks off particular streets from cars on designated days to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy this shared space and connect with their neighbors.
“Third Places”
This term was first coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place. Our homes are our “first places” and our workplaces (or schools) are our “second” places,” while “third places” can include an array of social settings where we spend our free time. Oldenburg advocated the importance of third places for civic engagement, democracy, and sense of belonging. These places allow for connection and spontaneity. Shared public spaces made for casual socializing are not new, but Oldenburg dubbed this term that highlights the intentionality and importance of these places to society and to our well-being.
Oldenburg also identified seven key features of third places: “open and inviting, comfortable and informal, convenient, unpretentious, there are regulars, conversation is the main activity, laughter is frequent.” Third places should be no or low-cost, so they are accessible to the masses, regardless of socio-economic status or other identity markers. This is what sometimes differentiates public spaces from third places: while public space has no cost to enter, third places can be settings with some cost, such as the price of a coffee at a cafe or a gym membership fee. These lines between private/public and free/priced can be blurred sometimes. Some privately owned buildings may be free for the general public to enter, but would not fit the formal definition of public space, for example shopping malls and museums. Though these can serve as third places where people gather and connect!
Take a minute to think about some of your favorite TV shows. Third places often serve as backdrops: Friends had the Central Perk coffee shop, Seinfeld had Monk’s Cafe diner, and Cheers had the bar. These social settings allow for the interactions and spontaneity that make for both good TV and good real-life connection!
Benefits
At the end of a long workday, the idea of heading anywhere besides your cozy couch with some takeout may not be ideal, but there are mental health benefits to integrating time in third places into your routine. The Harvard Study of Adult Development has spanned over 80 years and found that the largest determinant of both physical health and subjective emotional well-being is quality of social connections. We humans are social animals and the increasing individualism and isolation of current society goes against our evolutionary biology. Lively third places can serve as antidotes to the epidemic of loneliness and isolation that has erupted in recent years, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Think about the last fleeting interaction you had that left you smiling- maybe it was a nicety exchanged with a cashier or a compliment received by a stranger in passing. Third places and public space allow for more spontaneous moments of connection like these, as well as the opportunity to build deeper, long-term connections. These spaces also sometimes encourage physical activity as well, whether it’s walking in the park or a pick-up game of basketball with neighbors.
Finding Your “Third Place”
With all of that said, you may be lovingly thinking of your favorite third place… or stressing out that you don’t have a go-to spot, but no need to panic! The opportunity to find one that makes you feel connected and engaged is always within reach. Finding a third place that aligns with your interests can be a great entry point. Below are some more specific ideas:
- Community garden: If you have a green thumb, joining a community garden can be a great place to connect with fellow plant-lovers while tending to a space meant to bring people together.
- Dog park: If you’re a pet parent (or just a dog lover), the dog park can be a great place to meet other dog-lovers.
- Book club: Many libraries and bookstores hold regular book clubs to connect readers.
- Coffee shop: There is something special about your barista knowing you and your order- become a regular at a local spot!
- Playground: For parents, regularly taking your kids to the same playground will likely lead to seeing familiar faces and opportunities to connect over shared experiences.
- Houses of worship: For people of faith, many religious organizations hold social events or offer more informal spaces for connection in addition to services.
- Trivia or Game Nights: Maybe your local pub or community center holds weekly activity nights where you can connect with others and have some fun.
- Group fitness or gyms: The camaraderie that results from surviving a hot yoga or intense cardio class together can be pretty strong! Or maybe join a run club or rock gym!
- Front stoop/porch: Perhaps the easiest option is to sit out on your front stoop of your building or front porch if you have one, which can provide opportunity for interaction and conversation with neighbors passing by!
Most of us take the public space accessible to us for granted. We may be too busy or distracted to intentionally notice the importance of our third places. But we would all benefit from slowing down a bit and allowing ourselves the opportunity to connect with our neighbors and communities!
Sources:
Finlay, J., Esposito, M., Kim, M. H., Gomez-Lopez, I., & Clarke, P. (2019). Closure of 'third places'? Exploring potential consequences for collective health and wellbeing. Health & place, 60, 102225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102225
Low, S. (2022). Why Public Space Matters. Oxford University Press.
Oldenburg, R. (1989). The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. Da Capo Press. (Original work published 1989)
Waldinger, R., & Schulz, M. (2023). The Good Life. Simon & Schuster.
Wickramaratne, P. J., Yangchen, T., Lepow, L., Patra, B. G., Glicksburg, B., Talati, A., Adekkanattu, P., Ryu, E., Biernacka, J. M., Charney, A., Mann, J. J., Pathak, J., Olfson, M., & Weissman, M. M. (2022). Social connectedness as a determinant of mental health: A scoping review. PloS one, 17(10), e0275004. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275004