It is no secret that Americans are growing further apart – both physically and socially. As the industrial age made transportation easier and technology has made it easier to remain inside the home, human relationships have disintegrated. Now more than ever, people need places where they can gather freely, frequently, and with ease. The third place represents this place. The third place is a setting outside of home (the first place) and work (the second place). According to Ray Oldenburg, who originally coined the term “third place” in his books The Great Good Place and Celebrating the Third Place, the best third places are locally owned, independent, and small-scale. Historically speaking, these places were neighborhood candy shops, diners, barber shops, and taverns – often within walking distance of your home and your work.
Today, these places are often represented by coffee shops, bakeries, and cafes. Unfortunately, we live in a time where these spaces are hard to create and all the more hard to find. Small, locally owned third places are frequently overrun by large corporations and a government that supports their interests (I’m lookin at you, Starbucks).
The Third Place is far more than a place to eat, drink, and relax. It is all of these things, but it is also a place to engage in a civil political debate, and hear about the happenings in the community. It is a space that greets you by name and makes room for you at the table. It is a place that welcomes new-comers to the community and provides valuable information about the local area. It is a place where elders and youth alike come to engage with not just their peers, but with each other. These spaces frequently serve to foster change in their immediate communities. It is a space where community members can gather and rally around a local initiative, or celebrate the birthdays of their community elders. It a space that children look back on as adults when asked where they grew up.
I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the owners of real Third Places this summer through my work with FoodLab Detroit. I’ve been able to experience the space they’ve created and witness how people are drawn to this space to connect with one another. From Brooklyn Street Local in Corktown, to Good Cakes and Bakes on the Avenue of Fashion – these third places are actively working to bridge the gaps in their communities by providing a place to build human relationships.
“Community” may be something that has become elusive in our society, but it has never left Detroit.
I really appreciated your comments about the importance of third places. We learned a lot about how spaces like these can benefit a community socially and economically in my New Urbanism course this past semester. From that experience, I have come to really appreciate that I spend most of my time in an area that is bountiful with 3rd places. I think that is part of the reason of what makes Ann Arbor, or most college towns, feel so great and feel like a second home to so many students. Unfortunately, I have struggled with finding options for a third place in Detroit. There are few coffee shops, and the ones that I have been to feel a bit pretentious to me. There are public parks around Wayne State, but I have rarely seen people congregate to make it seem like a lively, inviting place. The importance of the third place is definitely something to think about when imagining the future of Detroit…