{"id":110388,"date":"2024-12-03T10:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/?p=110388"},"modified":"2025-03-27T17:09:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T17:09:19","slug":"revitalizing-third-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Facing the Decline of Third Places"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AThink of your favorite sitcom, what are the main settings of the show? Often it is a character\u2019s home, their job, and then a third place where the main cast gathers. In Friends, for example, the group meets in Central Perk, a cozy cafe near their apartments, and spends a significant amount of their time there. These casual spots where people come together are equally (if not more) important in real life as they are in sitcoms. However, in recent years, these kinds of places are disappearing and it\u2019s having a significant impact on how we connect and build community.<\/p>\n

Third places were coined and defined <\/span>by sociologist Ray Oldenburg<\/span><\/a>. He distinguished them from other environments through eight characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Neutral ground.<\/span><\/i> No one is required to be present and may come and go as they like.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Leveling place.<\/span><\/i> There are no socio-economic dictators separating some groups from others; everyone there is equal.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Conversation friendly.<\/span><\/i> While conversation does not have to be the main activity, it should be encouraged and easily facilitated<\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Accessibility and <\/span><\/i>accommodation.<\/span><\/i> It must be accessible for everyone.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Regulars<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i> The place should have a group of people who frequently socialize there, are familiar with each other, and help create a welcoming atmosphere.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Low <\/span><\/i>profile.<\/span><\/i> Third spaces should be casual and comfortable, not fancy facilities that may intimidate people. <\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Playful <\/span><\/i>m<\/span><\/i>ood<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i> The atmosphere is lighthearted and spontaneous; nothing should be overly structured to allow for playfulness and creativity from those present.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. A home away from home. <\/span><\/span><\/em>Attendees should experience a sense of comfort and belonging like they\u2019d feel at home.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    However, not all hope is lost. Communities are beginning to recognize the importance of these gathering spaces and are taking steps to preserve and revitalize them. Initiatives focused on creating more inclusive, accessible public spaces are gaining traction all over the world. For example, <\/span><\/span>cities like Melbourne and Barcelona have implemented policies<\/span><\/span><\/a> to encourage outdoor dining and pedestrian-friendly areas, effectively turning streets into social spaces. Additionally, in the U<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>S<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span>many<\/span> initiatives have been started to create and revitalize third spaces, including the <\/span><\/span>Third Spaces Lab<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span>Reimagining the Civic Commons<\/span><\/span><\/a>, and the <\/span><\/span>Better Block Foundation<\/span><\/span><\/a>. One stands out among the American efforts, combining the revitalization of libraries and the need for third places: the <\/span><\/span>Urban Libraries Council<\/span><\/span><\/a> (ULC). The organization\u2019s efforts build on existing infrastructure while <\/span>helping libraries become places<\/span> that not only allow for<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> but foster social interaction, community building, learning, and engagement. The ULC advocates for libraries to embrace their potential as third places in urban communities, where other avenues for meaningful social interaction are scarce and can be hard to come by. By redefining the role of libraries, they aim to create accessible community building venues that welcome diverse populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"ALibraries embody the eight characteristics outlined by Oldenburg very well. They welcome anyone regardless of background or status, allowing for individuals from all walks of life to come together. They create conversation-friendly atmospheres by hosting events, book clubs, and discussions that encourage interaction and exchanges of ideas. With support from the ULC over <\/span>180 libraries across the U.S. and Canada<\/span><\/a> are adapting to meet the needs of their communities while fostering social connections. By encouraging libraries to develop beyond collections of books while keeping accessibility and community-specific needs in mind, the ULC is helping combat the loneliness epidemic and revitalize neighborhoods.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    As we move forward, navigating new technologies and new ways of socializing, the movement to revive third places becomes increasingly important. These efforts aren\u2019t just about creating physical spaces<\/span>,<\/span> but about nurturing a sense of belonging and social connections that these environments can provide. By creating and revitalizing these places, communities can become stronger and fight back feelings of isolation and loneliness while encouraging local engagement and bringing together diverse populations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    Rasmussen is a guest blogger at <\/span><\/i><\/b>UITAC Publishing<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/a>. UITAC\u2019s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and socially responsible online course materials.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Images used in this blog:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u201cCentral Perk from the series Friends<\/a>\u201d by Ilse Orsel<\/a> is licensed by Unsplash<\/a>. This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n
    2. \u201cmontreal parks in the summer<\/a>\u201d by Phil Desforges<\/a> is licensed by Unsplash<\/a>. This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n
    3. \u201cGoing Out of Business Sign Downtown Miami FL<\/a>\u201d by Phillip Pessar is licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>. This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n
    4. \u201cPeople Gathering in a Room<\/a>\u201d by Yan Krukau<\/a> is licensed on Pexels<\/a>. This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Think of your favorite sitcom, what are the main settings of the show? Often it is a character\u2019s home, their job, and then a third place where the main cast gathers. In Friends, for example, the group meets in Central Perk, a cozy cafe near their apartments, and spends a significant amount of their time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":177,"featured_media":110394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,71,185,80,70,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-groups-and-organizations","category-population","category-social-change-and-movements","category-social-interactions","category-socialization"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFacing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Facing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The NEWS Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"681\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Claire Rasmussen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uitacpublishing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uitacpublishing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Claire Rasmussen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Claire Rasmussen\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/de2cc2282ac2defa9455e7ab11ed3a28\"},\"headline\":\"Facing the Decline of Third Places\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":962,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Library-gathering.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Culture\",\"Groups and Organizations\",\"Population\",\"Social Change and Movements\",\"Social Interactions\",\"Socialization\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/\",\"name\":\"Facing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Library-gathering.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Library-gathering.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Library-gathering.png\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":681,\"caption\":\"A few students socializing and studying in a library.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/revitalizing-third-spaces\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Facing the Decline of Third Places\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/\",\"name\":\"In The NEWS Blog\",\"description\":\"UITAC Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"In The NEWS Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2021\\\/01\\\/inthenewsblog-1.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/8\\\/2021\\\/01\\\/inthenewsblog-1.svg\",\"width\":1136,\"height\":394,\"caption\":\"In The NEWS Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uitacpublishing\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/uitac-publishing\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@UITACScholar\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/UITACPublishing\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/de2cc2282ac2defa9455e7ab11ed3a28\",\"name\":\"Claire Rasmussen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Claire Rasmussen\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uitac.com\\\/inthenewsblog\\\/author\\\/clairerasmussen\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Facing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog","description":"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Facing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog","og_description":"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.","og_url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/","og_site_name":"In The NEWS Blog","article_published_time":"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":681,"url":"http:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Claire Rasmussen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uitacpublishing","twitter_site":"@uitacpublishing","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Claire Rasmussen","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/"},"author":{"name":"Claire Rasmussen","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/de2cc2282ac2defa9455e7ab11ed3a28"},"headline":"Facing the Decline of Third Places","datePublished":"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/"},"wordCount":962,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png","articleSection":["Culture","Groups and Organizations","Population","Social Change and Movements","Social Interactions","Socialization"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/","url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/","name":"Facing the Decline of Third Places - In The NEWS Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png","datePublished":"2024-12-03T10:00:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-27T17:09:19+00:00","description":"Explore the decline of third places and how current initiatives are helping combat loneliness and fostering community.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/10\/Library-gathering.png","width":1024,"height":681,"caption":"A few students socializing and studying in a library."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/revitalizing-third-spaces\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Facing the Decline of Third Places"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/","name":"In The NEWS Blog","description":"UITAC Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#organization","name":"In The NEWS Blog","url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/inthenewsblog-1.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/inthenewsblog-1.svg","width":1136,"height":394,"caption":"In The NEWS Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/uitacpublishing","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/uitac-publishing\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@UITACScholar","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/UITACPublishing\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/de2cc2282ac2defa9455e7ab11ed3a28","name":"Claire Rasmussen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d652be8becd26c88d4c11fc648ecf03748242e51541365ddc92a63c69673e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Claire Rasmussen"},"url":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/author\/clairerasmussen\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110388"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110910,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110388\/revisions\/110910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

    Despite third places\u2019 vital role in fostering community and connection, they are becoming increasingly scarce. The decline of third places has been attributed to several factors, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> which greatly increased how much we rely on technology<\/span><\/span><\/a> for socialization while simultaneously restricting face-to-face interactions<\/span><\/span>;<\/span><\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> these include <\/span><\/span>urban development<\/span><\/span><\/a> that prioritizes commercialization over community-oriented spaces, the ever-growing <\/span><\/span>rise of digital communication<\/span><\/span><\/a>, and the increasing <\/span><\/span>socioeconomic pressures that limit accessibility<\/span><\/span><\/a> to informal gathering spots. Because of these reasons and more, many small\"A businesses, caf\u00e9s, community centers, shopping malls, and other <\/span>informal venues<\/span> have been shut down in the past 20 years, resulting in fewer options for individuals to gather and interact in a relaxed setting. In <\/span><\/span>a study by researcher Jessica Finlay<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>it was found that between 2008 and 2015, locations for public recreation and entertainment decreased by 18 percent. Additionally, local food and beverage stores decreased by <\/span>23 <\/span>percent<\/span>, and small hobby item stores including businesses selling musical instruments, books, and sports supplies that would often host events and foster community have decreased by 27 percent. The loss of these places has been linked to what sociologists are calling <\/span><\/span>a loneliness epidemic<\/span><\/span><\/a>, with <\/span><\/span>47 percent<\/span><\/span><\/a> of American adults reporting to often or always feeling alone. With fewer places to form connections, it\u2019s no surprise that so many people are feeling isolated and lonely<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n