Third Places and the Social Life of Streets
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2010
Keywords
third place, Main Street, urban design, social interaction, social and physical qualities
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916509344677
Abstract
Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg defines a third place as a place of refuge other than the home or workplace where people can regularly visit and commune with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even strangers. Because little is known about the place-based physical qualities of third places that support sociability and place attachment, this article examines how four urban design characteristics distinguish third-place businesses from other businesses on the Main Street. The article discusses a study conducted at Main Streets in two cities and one town in Massachusetts. As part of the study, visual surveys measured urban design qualities of businesses on the Main Streets, and interviews helped determine user perceptions. The findings suggest that third places are relatively high in both personalization (distinctiveness, recognizability) and permeability to the street, but seating and shelter provisions are perhaps the most crucial urban design characteristics that contribute to sociability on the Main Street.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Environment and Behavior, v. 42, issue 6, p. 779-805.
Scholar Commons Citation
Mehta, V. and Bosson, Jennifer K., "Third Places and the Social Life of Streets" (2010). Psychology Faculty Publications. 1171.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/1171
