Embracing Third Places

Back in 1989, Ray Oldenberg’s The Great Good Place popularized the concept of the “third place,” informal community gathering spaces that nurture community, civility, and connections.  In contrast to the first and second places (home and work), third places are often community focused and can play a critical role in supporting economic development and other community building work.

For many years, third places were not on the radar screen of most economic developers. Yet, with the emergence of coworking spaces and the overall decline in community gathering places, interest is growing.  That’s why I was so pleased to see a new report from Connecticut’s Capitol Region of Governments (CRCOG) that highlights the importance of third places in that region.  Third Places: Social Infrastructure in the Capitol Region introduces the concept of third places and reviews their critical functions in community building. It also reviews local examples, such as Hartford’s Heaven Skate Park and the Manchester Community Center.  It concludes with recommendations for how all neighborhoods and communities across the region can build and sustain their own third places.  

Beyond this report, you can also learn more about the role of public libraries as third places at an upcoming Next City webinar on Public Libraries and Civic Infrastructure. The event will be on October 2, 2025 and registration details can be found here.