Urban Places: Creating the Third Place

Where Creativity, Collaboration, and Connection Drive Economic Value 

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined “third place” in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place. In this book, the author points out that there are three places people spend most of their time: the first place is home, our private world for family; the second place is work, where we connect in a shared world of work with others; and the third place refers to the public space where people can connect with others we often don’t know and be part of a community outside of our home.

Creating a Market Place for Urban Connection

Although the third place has changed over time, visiting a thriving urban neighborhood or downtown, with cafés, outdoor parklets, restaurants, and theaters mixed in with workplaces and housing, creates a fantastic dynamic of community connection. Even if we don’t know many people sitting next to us, we are “sharing their world” as they are with us. We see others crowded into a café or a musical event, and we ask, what are we missing that they are sharing?

We see all these people in crowded places, and they lure us into the third space. 

From marketplaces to transit destinations such as airports and train stations, these third places are dynamic hubs that cultivate more third-place businesses and experiences.

Economic Value Comes forms From Seeking Shared Experiences

What’s happening is that the third place is creating economic momentum and value from the dozens of people who come for shared experiences. The sense of FOMA for both businesses and visitors drives more people to come, hangout and engage. Cities can thrive by understanding and incentivizing the influences of emerging small businesses’ property development, which drives future financial investment.

First, there may be only a tiny coffee shop, then an outdoor café, a restaurant, and a pub, and a third destination emerges for shared experiences as it draws more businesses and people, enhancing economic value.  

Placemaking, Identity and Increase Real Estate Value

Third places contribute to a neighborhood’s unique character and identity. They become landmarks and gathering spots that define the local culture and give residents a sense of place and shared history.

By intentionally incorporating and preserving third places in urban planning and development, communities can create more vibrant, connected, and resilient neighborhoods. These spaces are essential for fostering the social fabric that makes a place truly livable and thriving.

At RadiantBrands, we see urban and real estate branding as the key to influencing and adding to the value of the third place, creating increased value for everyone.

The third place is often a thriving urban environment with cafés, outdoor parklets, restaurants, and theaters mixed in with workplaces and housing, creating a fantastic dynamic of community connection in a shared world with strangers.