The Great Good Place
Helena Loh
INF 385Q Knowledge Management Systems, Fall 2005
Book Report
10 November 2005
Presentation Outline
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Ray Oldenburg
The First and second places
The Third place
Third places
What they have in common
Challenges for the Third Place in America
Some of what happens without the Third Place
Opinion about the book
Third Places in the Information Age
Resources
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Ray Oldenburg
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Urban sociologist from Florida
The importance of informal public
gathering places for local
democracy and community vitality
“Most needed are those ‘third
places’ which lend a public balance
to the increased privatization of
home life. Third places are nothing
more than informal public gathering
places. The phrase ‘third places’
derives from considering our homes
to be the ‘first’ places in our lives,
and our work places the ‘second.’”
link to quote
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The First and Second Places
 The First: The Home
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Regular, predictable environment
Sanctuary - not always good for socializing - private space
Territorial - always division between guest and host
 The Second: The Workplace
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Reduces individual to single productive role
Fosters competition, motivates ambition
Provides means for living and material goods
Structures life by providing routine
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The Third Place - I
The Third: “the core setting of informal public life”
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Neutral ground:
“we need a good deal of immunity from those whose company we like
best” (p. 23)
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Leveler:
“an inclusive place…accessible to the general public and does not
set formal criteria of membership and exclusion.” (p. 24)
Upbeat:
“enjoy the company of one’s fellow human beings…not wallow in
pity over misfortunes.” (p. 26)
Conversation:
“talk just the right amount,…all are expected to contribute.” (p. 28)
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The Third Place - II
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Accessible and accommodating:
“one may go alone at almost any time of the day…with assurance that
acquaintances will be there.” (p. 28)
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Low profile:
“typically plain”
“discourag[es] pretention”
“come as they are” (p. 37)
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At Home-ness:
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No actual ownership
Social regeneration
The “freedom to be”
Warmth (p. 41)
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Third Places - I
 The German-American Lager Beer Gardens:
“Beer is one of the social virtues…” (p. 93)
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Open to families
Leveler of social class
Affordability
Allowed social participation - formed friendships and matched
interests
 Main Street: “allowed people to do nothing.” (p. 112)
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Short walk to get there
Large enough for companionship
Small enough to avoid division
Frequent socializing and children playing on street’s sidewalks
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Third Places - II
 The English Pub:
“…enjoys a good press, an aura of respectability, and a
high degree of integration in the life of the citizenry.”
(p. 123)
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Multiple areas within the establishment catering to different classes
of society
No frills - lack of formality and pretension
Common-denominator appeal
“Fellowship must prevail and it depends most upon informality.”
(p. 125)
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Friendly atmosphere based on conversation
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Third Places - III
 The French Café: “places to dwell in.”
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(p. 145)
Terrasses stretch out onto sidewalk
Have no names - “le bistro”
Provides venue for politics, writing, seating for street games, card
games
Allows for privacy or sociability
 The American Tavern: “a failing institution…even an
endangered species…” (p. 166)
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Was “a forum and a community center, a place for genial selfexpression” (p. 166)
Rejection of public drinking establishments
Private consumption of alcoholic beverages
Trend moves taverns from residential areas - changes character,
popularity and clientele
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Third Places - IV
 Classic Coffeehouses:
“Coffee spurs the intellect…” (p. 184)
 Place to read the daily newspaper
 Quality service, good meals, reading room
 Included all walks of society
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What these places have in common
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Conversation
Conviviality
Social leveling
Relaxation
Bonhomie
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Challenges for the Third Place in America I
 Individualism: “This is not mine. I have no responsibility for
this.” (p. 83)
 Suburbia: “offers no facilities for accidental encounters or for
collective meetings; social participation beyond …family and
friends is limited…” (p. 71)
 Mass media: “creates shut-ins of almost everyone.” (p. 211)
 Public facilities: “came to be objects of private consumption
and use.” (p. 214)
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Challenges for the Third Place in America
II
 Commercialism: “Give them nothing without
charge…discourage the low-profit items…and push the big-profit
items.” (p. 226)
 Consumerism: purchase the splendid isolation for themselves.”
(p. 222)
 Gender differences: “marriage cannot afford all the
togetherness presently imposed upon it.” (p. 248)
 Age differences: “Children are not compatible with a fuller
realization of personal or liberated communities.” (p. 266)
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What happens?
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Individual and familial isolation
No social outlet for stress
Build-up of antisocial tendencies
Lack of third place community building
“Those who choose not to participate always
have that choice but those of us who yearn
for a public life and for life on the streets of
our neighborhoods have been deprived.” (p. xxvii)
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The book…
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Explored and provided insight to an area pertinent to everyone
Provided an interesting history, but was limited to European and North
American societies
Made some remarkable observations but were not always supported by
researched evidence e.g. “Britain is the world’s third largest beer
market” (p. 124)
May need to be reconsidered in certain areas e.g.
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“…our big cities are filled with…starved and thwarted ‘characters’ who,
because of the huge, blind fury of city living, must forever bottle up a free
expression of their individualism, their love for living, to become one with
the trampling mob…” (p. 106)
“…where men are at ease and comfortable with one another, homosexual
relationships are minimal.” (p. 250)
“women have had, and continue to have, an advantage over men in the
spare time available to them” (p. 236)
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Third Places in the Information Age
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Online communities - chat groups, blogs, forums, interest groups
Internet cafés
Areas with a wireless connection
Collaborative learning
Listservs
Can these be considered third places?
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Resources and Applications
 Website
 Principles applied in:
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Educational
Spiritual
Communication patterns
Design
 Project for Public Spaces
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