Fostering Health and Civic Engagement in Third Spaces

In the 1970s, the sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third places” to refer to places which are not home or work. Third places — coffee shops, parks and plazas, stores, and more — can provide opportunities for vital community connection, health-promoting activities, and civic engagement. Privately owned third places are important, but research to date has tended to focus on public spaces (like parks). For the past year, the Bucksbaum family has funded ULI research focused on opportunities to promote health and wellness and foster democracy (with a small “d”) in third places like shopping malls, shops, and more. In this session, hear from Chicago-based third place leaders about their transformative projects.