But what about all the other places we hang out when we’re not at these two places?
These third places can be many and varied.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of the third place is in decline.
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So, how do we sustain them, and what might the future of third places be?
So then, the other places we might go to socialize or unwind become third places.
What characterizes a third place?
The importance of third places is shown by their presence in many forms of popular media.
Why Third Places Matter
From fostering creativity to buildingcommunity, third places have lots of benefits.
As she says, Being part of a community and feeling connected is essential for good mental health.
It reduces feelings of loneliness, boosts our mood, and can even increase our self-esteem.
This is especially important in today’s fast-paced world, where loneliness andsocial isolationare on the rise.
So, what else can we do to help sustain third places ourselves?
It can be difficult.
This is partly why many third places are finding it more difficult to survive.
However, there are some things that third places can do to help themselves.
This could end up having very negative effects on our mental health.
Arnault Morisson, PhD, an economic geographer, wrote in 2018 that there are now fourth places too.
Humans are a social species.
We need third places, and its unlikely that well ever totally lose them.
One challenge facing third places is that there can be disparities in their availability.
But, they are under threat.
Morisson, A.A Typology of Places in the Knowledge Economy: Towards the Fourth Place.New Metropolitan Perspectives.
2019;1: 444-451. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92099-3_50
Oldenburg, R.Our Vanishing Third Places.Planning Commissioners Journal.
1996;25: 6-10.
