Monthly Archives: September 2015

by | September 13, 2015 · 8:42 pm

Jess’ Thoughts on “Third Places”

After reading Ray Oldenberg’s article on “Third Places,” I reflected on my time in Suburbia. I spent most of my teen years in Connecticut, which I often tell people is a giant suburb of New York City, Boston, and Providence. It could be a case study for Oldenberg. The towns, expansive and sprawling, are meant more as getaways from the bustle of city life than places to spend time chatting with neighbors. Still, many people do not commute, certainly not teenagers who are oft at the mercy of their parents schedules. This got me thinking. Even though there was no real place for teenagers to commune in our town, these kids would make their own “Third Place.” They called it “The Center,” referring to the center of town, but really it was just the grocery store parking lot. An empty space that was free – both cost wise and from the overbearing eyes of authority – that was easily accessible from all parts of town, and with the knowledge that someone would always be there to hang out with. If the police came and told them to move along, they would simply hop in a car and move their third place elsewhere.

 

I imagine a lot of people who find themselves in similar situations do the same thing. If there isn’t a local pub or coffee house to use, then they will create a space of their own. It may not be a physical space with four walls. It might be the sideline of their kids’ soccer games, a transitional space – somewhere where the public and private spaces meet, such as a sidewalk – or it could even be online. With the emersion of social media, we are trying to reclaim our third places. Now we can enjoy the company of our fellow man without the bothersome task of holding up our end of the conversation or buying overpriced pints. This also gives us the benefit or reaching beyond our small town. Now we can keep up with our Great Aunt who lives across the country or find the other six people who are interested in our unique hobby. We can form communities beyond the places we live and work.

 

I would not argue that this is a better lifestyle than meeting your friends and neighbors at the local diner, but rather point out that we will never be completely free of the third places. It is in our nature to be social creatures and to find our brethren. If we are zoned out of our favorite local spot, then we will switch locations. You do not have to limit yourself to the confines of a structure. Modern men and women can be fluid and mobile in their approach to finding their own “Third Place.”

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by | · 7:33 pm

Max’s Quick Indie Project

My “Quick Indie Project” can be found here.

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by | · 7:24 pm

Thoughts on “Third Places”, Jung-Joon

Because I lived in Korea for almost all my life, I assume that I could say something about Korean third places. Similar to the U.S., Third Places have decreased continuously in Korea as well. When I was a child, most towns had several playgrounds and facilities for resident gatherings. However, as a price of lands got increased, builders had to sell more houses within limited areas. So, they made more residences only instead of building Third Places. As a result, the locals rarely had meetings and even lived without knowing people next door. In addition, modern people tend to be more busy and individualistic in comparison with past decades. Therefore, they spend more time in First and Second Places and particularly most young people have no intention to go to Third Places.

However, some locals still want to share information and promote friendship; it is usually done by online. I can see lots of local communities on the Internet and there are sizable members. So, as of now, I think Third Places are moved to a cyberspace. They do share information and make friends on the Internet likewise our seniors did in Third Places. Furthermore, some members of an online community are likely to meet in person when they become close.

To sum up, I think the number of Third Places is getting decreased and it seems that Third Places could not go against the trend. However, people keep sharing information one another as ever and the biggest difference between past and present might be an interface in which they use.

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by | · 7:20 pm

Thoughts on Our Vanishing “Third Places” – Ashley

This article mainly talks about the definition and the importance of “Third places”. Oldenburg mentioned that our home is the “first” place in our lives, and our work places are the “second”, some other informal public gathering places are the “third”.

In the past, people can know each other more easily than nowadays, because they all lived together. With the development of the modern society, people became independent. They chose to live separately and tended to enjoy more private space. Communication and connection between individuals were less than before. So they went to “third places” to know each other and share some information.

I would like to cite my own example. I was born in a very small coastal city which is also a naval port. When I was a kid, I repeated very simple home-to-school-and-back-again shuttle life every day, having little interaction with public places and new people.  Therefore, I don’t have much personal experience about “third places” before. After I went to college, I started to know more about “third places”. It did bring my friends and me more close to each other and at these places I got to make new friends more easily. In my leisure time, I could hang out with my friends at places such as restaurants and bars. From our conversations I was able to learn something that I wouldn’t know otherwise. I was excited about and eager for such discussions and my life was enriched a lot.

Maybe with the rapid development of the technology, some tangible “third places” are vanishing. Instead, a variety of new platforms such as forums and online groups are emerging. For the most people these new methods are feasible. However, they are unpractical for some minority groups without corresponding devices or knowledge. Personally speaking, I prefer the face-to-face communication with others in real life for the reason that online interaction only provides limited interactive modes, making it totally different from the conventional interaction. Having face-to-face communication enables people to sense the real emotions under different circumstances so that they can respond directly and promptly, which is usually unavailable when chatting online. The advantage of network gives us another option today, that we organize offline activities at “third places” and expose the related information online to inform people. For instance, I always seek online for some events that interest me and then participate in them. This combination not only makes it possible to spread information widely and efficiently, but also gives people direct communication facing each other.

After reading this article, I start thinking that we have the chance to find a new way for people to communicate and interact better under the tendency towards more developed society.

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by | · 5:27 pm

Thoughts on Third Places

As a person who spent most of times growing up in the city, Oldenberg’s article made to reflect what my ‘Third Places’ were. I lived my two thirds of my life(Born & Raised and worked in my mid 20’s to early 30’s) in Seoul, Korea and one third(High School & College, and currently for my MFA’s) in New York City.

During my time before I came to NY, I had no memory or experience of third place. My mother who was very passionate on our education designed my childhood in a way that I only could commute between home and school.

What I remember as my first third place was the pizza place which was located on the way to the subway station in Astoria(Ditmars Blvd stop) during high school. With a group of my friends, it was the place to go after school, do gossiping or sometimes talking about our uncertain future, dreams over a slice of pizza. There were enough spaces for older adults who hangout there watching tv or doing cross puzzle, children who play video games arcade. The place would throw a party once in a while so people in neighborhood come and chat about business, stores, family, etc. As fresh off the boat, my family never actively participated or engaged in conversation with the whole community but with the people at regular grocery places or church. Those places were usually where we get the information on discount deals, tutor jobs, reputation of schools, good plumber, rental and so on. This was the closest feeling of local community that I had and was in the end of 90’s.

Another thought came cross my mind was the use of online community as new space and platform for third place. As technology develops, our culture has changed so much – thanks to internet. We often search, use, create, or join any website or service for our personal interests. The famous services such as Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, Tinder, Reddit, and many others offer people to communicate, to discuss, and to connect each other. Often these online services lead to offline space for people to their needs.

However, the problem rises in present days that older adults have more difficulties to adopt this new technology and gadget compared to younger generations. Also, there are still many people whether they resides in the city or suburban area enjoy physical space for gathering or spending time with locals. As a designer, designing the better online community system would be designing the ‘architecture’ of third place. We already tried in Entrepreneurial Design class for designing community, some succeeded and some failed. We learned that it is not easy to design this community. I think that no matter how fancy or complicated technology is available, it will be no good use if the service is not in use or difficult to use.

 

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by | · 4:29 pm

Thoughts on Third Places

When I think informal gathering places, I vividly recall in my memory the multiple use of public spaces in the business district in Hong Kong.
Growing up in Hong Kong, I remember that whenever I had the occasion of passing through Central, the main business district, on Sunday, I would see groups of domestic helpers socializing outside public buildings or train stations, creating a “third place” for themselves. In Hong Kong, domestic helpers from the Philippines are required by law to have 12 consecutive hours off per week and since many may not be able to afford a full day of paid-entertainment with friends, they gather themselves in “third places” — generating entertainment for themselves through singing, eating, chatting and playing music.
The spaces that domestic helpers spend their 12-hour break is not normally used as a gathering spot — on weekdays, these areas are full of office workers who are walking to and from their office. There may be some benches that are occupied by the lunch crowd, but the setup in the district provides little to no intention of being used as a place for large groups to socialize. The area is full of professional service companies with offices in skyscrapers, government offices and big banks — it is an area meant for conducting business. You can think of it as Financial District in NYC, it is relatively quiet on the weekends and most locals would not consider FiDi to be a fun/cool place to hang out.
Few filipino helpers know Cantonese fluently, unlike other ethnic minorities such as Pakistanis and Indians who often speak Cantonese as well as the locals. Their unfamiliarity with the local language, combined with their transient status, makes it more difficult for them to assimilate with the locals than other minorities. As Hong Kong is only a temporary home for domestic helpers, many find comfort in meeting and spending time with others from their real home.
On Sundays, the atmosphere of the public space in Central is transformed. Laughter, song, and music replace serious conversations, and the space exhibits a sense of community and social interaction.

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by | · 4:15 pm

How to get rid of our “Third Places” and thoughts on: Our Vanishing “Third Places”

“An electronically-operated garage door out front and a privacy fence out back afford near-total protection from those who, in former days, would have been neighbors.”

I think that separating ourselves from the outside world is in vogue. From immersing  ourselves to our systematic daily routine (and not looking out) to grabbing with our eyes any digital device screen (and reducing to a minimum our peripheral vision) we create “bubbles” and occupy them at all times. If that process is increasing by the minute, it means that the demand for “Third Places” is decreasing and of course the customer is always right.

“The flaw in much of today’s residential land use pattern — all space is used up and there’s no provision for a community life.”

I think part of the flaw is a response to how our “home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle” works: mainly as a car commute. Therefore, that need was answered by a city-grid planned around vehicles with a very high percentage of the public property dedicated to vehicular circulation and the rest to pedestrian circulation only.

If you want to get rid of our few “Third Places” simply do nothing or move as far away from work as possible.

On the other hand, if you want them back follow what advanced societies do:

“THE CITIES OF THE FUTURE ARE PEOPLE-FRIENDLY CITIES” (http://denmark.dk/en/green-living/bicycle-culture/the-cities-of-the-future-are-people-friendly-cities/)

I think the best way to try to rescue or create public “Third Places” might be to transform our sidewalks from being circulation-paths to a series of bay-spaces or plazas by lowering the percentage-area that is currently assigned to cars.

“Third places are nothing more than informal public gathering places.”

The moment “Third Places” appear people will start using them.

About six years ago New York City created a “Third Place” in Times Square as a series of plazas that potentiated the place to become an actual square. In my opinion an excellent move. It helped near by businesses and attracted many interesting people like “The Desnudas”.

“The Desnudas of Times Square, Topless but for the Paint” (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/nyregion/the-desnudas-of-times-square-topless-but-for-the-paint.html)

Unfortunately, if you want to get rid of our few “Third Places” simply become one.

“Mayor de Blasio Raises Prospect of Removing Times Square Pedestrian Plazas” (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/21/nyregion/mayor-de-blasio-raises-prospect-of-removing-times-square-pedestrian-plazas.html)

 

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by | · 4:11 pm

Thoughts on Ray Oldenburg’s article “Our Vanishing ‘Third Places’”

In the article “Our Vanishing ‘Third Places” Ray Oldenburg argues that our happiness hinges on our ability to socialize with the people around us, and we need places where we can support this social interaction. Oldenburg coined these places as “third places,” defining the “first place” as home and the “second place” as work.

 

Oldenburg outlined the importance of “third places.” They serve has hubs; they benefit communities by providing people with a place for getting information, exchanging ideas, and connecting with each other. Since Oldenburg wrote this article, we have (to some extent) resolved many of these needs with the internet. We have created accessible virtual places within games, social media, and public forums where we can chat and mingle. There are innumerable ways to be informed, entertained and self educated with the internet. While Oldenburg’s vision relied on a local gathering place that people can walk to, we now have an even closer alternative right at our fingertips.

 

Still, it’s worthwhile to consider the nuances of Oldenburg’s physical “third place” today. Even though the internet has created a version of his “third place,” it doesn’t quite hit all of his points. While the internet can help facilitate conversations, it does not directly replace meeting someone in person. On the internet, we have a high amount of control over who we meet, when we meet, and how we meet. It doesn’t help populate Oldenburg’s barren suburban streets nor does it create the ideal conditions for the casual, spontaneous interactions that he valued. While we have invented technology for us to communicate efficiently, we have not created technology to communicate naturally like we do in real life. We can’t hug a sad friend who is miles away. Unless provoked, most people aren’t proactive to meet their neighbors. Oldenburg’s physical “third place” forces individuals to step out from behind the screen and actively participate in their surroundings. Unlike your computer or device, you can’t turn off or log out of your physical environment. Oldenburg wants people to contribute to the humanity of a community by being both mentally and physically present.

 

There is certainly value to physical “third places.” Yet, I don’t think that “third places” need to be formal structures like Oldenburg’s taverns or corner stores. Even though proximity is obviously convenient, his argument for “walking cities” might be irrelevant in the next few years. With driverless cars or even improved public transportation, it will be much easier for anyone to make it to their “third places” no matter what the distance is. Accessibility is no longer a strong enough reason for building local physical “third places.” (Though urban sprawl might be.) Kathy Madden’s article “Third Places I Know” describes impromptu “third places” that occur on the sidewalk or in a parking lot – a place forms when and where ever people happen to meet. Services like MeetUp, Lyft, Swarm and even dating apps start to create flexible gathering places that can occur while in route or in situ. I imagine that the future of “places” won’t all be contained in neatly framed buildings. They’ll be unconventional, shapeshifting and mobile – maybe they’ll be highly evolved food trucks or mobile gyms?

 

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by | · 12:15 am

Thoughts on “Third Places” – Debbie

For our Public Interfaces class, we read the article Our Vanishing “Third Places” by Ray Oldenburg.  He explains that home is our first place, work is our second place, and third places are an escape from both.  He describes them as “informal public gathering places” where people can “gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably” close to home.

As interaction designers, it is second nature to think about the user needs of a community.  Knowing the benefits of these types of places for both newcomers and the existing residents on social well-being and psychological health, it seems that in addition to supporting community clinics and services, there should be more attention placed on creating an environment that encourages entrepreneurs to create/bring back these kinds of places.  Mr. Oldenburg mentions that almost a fifth of the population changes residence every year.  This seems to me like a great opportunity for an enterprising person.

Cultures in which third places exist are ones that believe these places are just “as essential as home and work”.  The increased demand for the services of “helping professions” in the United States as these places disappeared suggests that we need these places just as much.

The author shares an encouraging anecdote about a town that widened the width of a sidewalk and added back parking on the block.  This wider sidewalk made it possible for the coffee shop to add outdoor seating which resulted in more people frequenting the area.  With increased foot traffic, a man started selling newspapers on the corner.  One small change really made a big difference and transformed a coffee shop into a “third place”.  The key is that these places are local, “within walking distance of the people they serve”.

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by | September 12, 2015 · 10:03 pm

Third Places Reflection – Datrianna

     In the early part of ” Third Places”, by Ray Oldenburg, he speaks about people needing respite from their community and how often times, electronic garage doors and privacy fences help people hide. After reading this, I questioned whether it was community people wanted protection from, or rather, those outside of the community. Based on my experience, it is not the community I seek to protect myself from, but the people outside of the community who venture in for a variety of reasons, none of which include, getting to know the existing community members.
     As I read further into the article, I began to reflect on my experiences with third places and how they have impacted my life and the spaces I reside in. I’ve always known that I was the kind of person who enjoyed city life, but there was a point in my life when I lived in the suburbs of Virginia and my lack of access to Third Places really took a toll on my spirit. I didn’t know anyone who lived in walking distance and there were few places nearby that I could visit, if only to escape my amenity-filled, modern apartment. After living in this space for 2 years, I decided to attend graduate school and knew that I wanted to move to New York. I chose New York because I would prefer sensory overload and Third Place overload than continue living in a place with no sense of community. I now live in Harlem and my experience is much closer to what Oldenburg describes when he talks about the role Third Places play in communities. I visit the same coffee shops, bars, and grocery stores every week, and while I would prefer that they be closer, I feel much better than I did before I moved here. Often times, when I’m in Harlem I see the same people over and over, even if I don’t know them by name. After a few encounters, it’s natural to greet them and it feels as though we have an unspoken, mutual understanding that we’re neighbors.  While I’ve had a fairly positive experience visiting Third Places in New York, I know that my experience is not the same as every New York resident. With the increase of residential mobility, especially in New York, I think people use the movement of their neighbors as an excuse to not get to know them, because they know it is possible they won’t be around long.
     Some additional points that resonated with me, include Oldenburg’s discussion about the impact Third Places have on older adults and the importance of the walkability of neighborhoods. As my grandparents age, they become more and more concerned with gatherings and having people around, both for the enjoyment of company and the health benefits. I recently decided that I want to move, due to the minimal walkability of my neighborhood, so I am in agreement with Oldenburg about the importance of being able to walk to Third Places. Places like parks, coffee shops, and grocery stores top my list of places I’d like to be able to access more easily and Oldenburg names these places as exactly the kind of Third Places neighborhoods should seek to give residents access to.
     Lastly, the main thing I’m left thinking about is what happens to Third Places in neighborhoods where gentrification is happening. I think it’s important to determine a way for existing community members feel empowered to share their Third Places and acquaint new neighbors with the area, and for new community members to be open to learning from existing community members.

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