Third Places

In the previous newsletter, Workplace Utopia, we explored a subtle yet significant shift. Many environments, traditionally not designed for work, are now being repurposed to accommodate the needs of knowledge workers seeking additional places to work, away from home and the traditional workplaces. In the domain of human geography, there is actually a term that describes these ‘other’ places away from home and work, namely: third places.

The third places concept, at first sight, is quite straightforward and easy to understand: home is seen as the first place, the traditional office or workplace as the second place, followed by social spaces collectively described as the third places. Ray Oldernberg, an urban sociologist, coined the term third places, back in 1989 in his book “The Great Good Place”. He describes those places as “a great variety of public places that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.”  

However, these three types of places – home, work, and social places – have not always been so distinct. Since the term was coined, we could argue that the boundaries among them have begun to blur once again. Especially when it comes to work, it’s no longer straightforward that work only occurs in the second place: work has been flowing into both first and third places too…  Is work taking over our lives and lifestyles?

The Rise of the First & Second Places

Before industrialisation, the separation between the home (first place) and work (second place) was not as pronounced as it became later. Back then, artisans and craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, weavers, or bakers, often had their workshops or studios attached to their homes or even inside them. Families would produce goods for local markets or for merchants who distributed the products further. In urban areas, while some separation existed with specific marketplaces and guild halls, many merchants and guild members still lived above their shops or close to their places of business. Work was more often than not interwoven with life in and around the house. 

In addition to that, there were the third places, such as taverns/inns, markets, churches and teahouses. The third places were of much importance, and typically located at walkable distances. This closeness of the third places to the home & work areas was not only practical, but also vital for the social fabric of the community. 

The Industrial Revolution marked a significant shift towards the separation of the place of work from the place of home. Factories and mills were established as centralised locations for production, requiring workers to leave their homes and work in designated industrial areas. This shift led to the development of distinct residential areas, separated from industrial zones. Later on, around the mid 20th century, the rise of the office parks emerged (particularly in the US, and subsequently in other parts of the world including Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe), which further increased the separation between home & work life. 

It’s not a coincidence that the term “third place” gained prominence in the late 20th century when a clear division of life into private (home) and public (work) spheres had taken place. You might expect that this clear division would allow people to spend more time in third places, but the opposite was true; a “two-stop” model emerged where home and work represented the primary realms of daily life, aka “the rat race”. The rat race analogy works well with the third place theory: people are constantly running but ultimately remain in the same position (First & Second Places), living a monotonous grind of daily work life without much escape beyond the two-stop model (Third Places).

In his book, Oldenburg paints the picture of the ‘rat race’-life in the American suburbs in the 70’s that lacks third places:

“People suffocate for a lack of the new, the unexpected , the diverse in their lives. (…) Home decorating and redecorating becomes a never-ending process as people depend upon new wallpaper or furniture arrangements to add zest to their lives” (The Great Good Place, 1989)

Now – A Tricky Balancing Act

Nowadays, in the digital age, many knowledge workers can easily work from the first, second AND third places. Work is kind of spilling over in all three areas! Is that a problem?

Oldenberg writes that, in order to live a relaxed and fulfilling life, you need access to all three places, and that each of those places must have a measure of autonomy from the other two places (e.g. physically separate). What has happened in the past, is that governments would encourage people to join and visit third places. For example, in the 80’, in some countries, television broadcasting was suspended one night a week so that people would not abandon the habit of getting out of their homes and maintaining contact with one another.

Now, this is where it gets tricky in modern work life! With the internet penetrating through any physical boundaries, ideas like that won’t really work anymore. Although, there are still plenty of ‘screen-free / laptop-free’ cafes and venues, and the rise of the analog way of life is kind of ‘cool’, with vinyls having made a comeback, journaling, analog/film photography and board games too. What worries me the most is the impact of work spilling into Third Places too often. It’s great that we can work from anywhere, but when work follows us everywhere, there’s nowhere left to really tune out.

Developing a Sense of Place

WIth work spilling into third places, there is a broader societal impact to consider. How do third places contribute to an individuals’ sense of place and belonging? I love the below explanation by Oldenberg & Slater: 

Is getting together with friends away from the physical confines of home and work, still experienced as optimal when half of the cafe is filled with people working on their laptops? The use of third places as workspaces changes their nature and the role they play within the community. As more people use these spaces for work, the dynamic of these areas can shift, potentially detracting from their original purpose as places primarily for relaxation and social interaction. Do we need to take steps to avoid this blurring of lines between work and leisure spaces? Or, could the blending of work and leisure in third places actually enhance their vibrancy and utility? I’m keen to hear your thoughts!