The Role of Third Places in Community Building

Why Every Neighborhood Deserves a Corner Coffee Shop It’s just a coffee shop. Until it’s not. The neighborhood café does more than serve espresso. It creates a daily rhythm. A gathering spot. A job opportunity. A visible signal that this block.....this community.....matters. And that’s why I believe every neighborhood should have one. It’s About More Than Coffee A corner coffee shop might seem like a luxury or an afterthought. But in neighborhoods that have been disinvested for decades, it’s a symbol of presence and possibility. It’s a place where: Local entrepreneurs get a shot at ownership Young people get their first job Elders come to feel seen Neighbors run into each other, chat, and stay connected These “third spaces” are the glue between our homes and workplaces. They’re where community happens organically.....and affordably. Small-Scale Development Starts With Small Businesses As developers, we often talk about housing, density, and zoning. But a thriving community needs more than places to live. It needs places to gather. A small café can activate a corner, drive foot traffic, and support walkability. It’s the kind of development that doesn’t require massive infrastructure or huge subsidies. It’s attainable. Scalable. Human. And it brings vibrancy without displacement.....especially when it’s locally owned and community-supported. We Should Be Planning for These So here’s the challenge: let’s stop thinking of cafés, bookstores, corner stores, and barbershops as “nice to have” and start seeing them as infrastructure for belonging. That means: Updating zoning to allow mixed-use and neighborhood commercial Investing in community entrepreneurs with real capital, not just classes Prioritizing street-level activation in new housing developments Because yes, housing is urgent. But community is essential. Let’s Build for Connection Every neighborhood deserves more than survival. It deserves joy. It deserves identity. It deserves the warmth of a familiar face across a coffee counter. Let’s build places where people don’t just live. Let’s build places where people belong.

Here are some excellent recommendations from Sam Pressler and Pete Davis for how civic leaders can activate a sense of belonging, agency, and shared responsibility within neighborhoods: 1) Support the creation of more microspaces for neighborhoods to organically come together, ranging from the commercial (e.g., micro-pubs, micro-cafes), to the public (e.g., micro-parks, community gardens), to the civic (e.g., shared tool sheds). Municipalities, potentially with support from philanthropy, can purchase homes or lots in neighborhoods and convert them into communal spaces. These communal spaces could range from micro-parks and community gardens, to community clubhouses and kitchens, to workshops and tool libraries. Local policymakers can also reform zoning laws to allow for more community-oriented small businesses within residential neighborhoods. This could be as simple as adjusting zoning laws to enable a select number of micro-pubs and micro-cafes to be built within each neighborhood, to creating a new zoning classification specifically for “third spaces” or “community spaces.” 2) Establish microgrant programs for neighbors to connect with neighbors, hosting block parties, barbeques, community dinners, and neighborhood improvement projects. Cities and towns can offer microgrants for neighborhood activation, enabling neighbors to host a wide range of activities that bring people together, such as block parties, barbeques and dinners, play streets, welcoming activities, and other community gatherings. Microgrants can also support block and neighborhood improvement initiatives, contributing to cooperation among neighbors and the betterment and beautification of their neighborhoods. These microgrants could be small in size ($250-$1,000), high in volume, and easy to access. 3) Create formal neighborhood leadership roles to encourage more cooperation and connection, both among neighbors and between neighbors and local government. Such neighborhood leadership positions for local residents—akin to DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and Philadelphia’s Block Captains—can serve as a mediating layer between government and residents. These part-time or volunteer neighborhood leaders would coordinate within the neighborhood and connect neighbors to one another, helping to organize things like microgrant-funded initiatives and block clean ups. These neighborhood leadership roles would also help shift activities from government-to-individual to government-to-neighborhood, facilitating a stronger sense of membership within neighborhoods and more connection between neighborhoods and local government. #neighborhoods #community #cities #isolation #philanthropy Placemaking Education #placemaking Cormac Russell Frances Kraft Usha Srinivasan Jennifer Prophete Erin Barnes Michael Skoler Daniel Selz Matt Abrams Kara Revel Jarzynski Joe Waters John B. Carol Naughton Daniel Stid Lauren Higgins Democracy Policy Network

Not Everything Needs to Be an App Starbucks recently announced it's re-investing in its in-store experience. Why? Well, in case you haven't entered one lately, their in-store experience makes you feel like a lab rat. They are not inviting anymore. Their stores are drab, uninviting, institutional feeling. So, the company finally realized that people crave real connection. The "third place," that space between home and work, and which has always mattered. Cafe culture goes back centuries in many countries. Think of England in the 1700s, Paris, China, and the Middle East. It’s where relationships form, ideas get shared, and communities take shape. A recent Discourse Magazine piece, “Three Cheers for the Third Place,” hits this point hard. It reminds us that communal spaces aren’t just convenient—they’re vital. They’re where human interaction happens without an agenda. You can’t code that into an app. But somewhere along the way, we decided to outsource everything. To digitize, automate, and app-ify our lives. And sure, there's value in efficiency. But let's not fool ourselves: not everything can, or should, be replaced by a screen. As I’ve written recently, today’s CMOs are being asked to do more with less... Drive revenue. Retain customers. Lead cross-functionally. Fine, okay, we get it. But here's the thing: the best marketing still starts with one human connecting to another. You can't outsource that—just like you can't outsource friendships. The brands that win will be the ones that understand the value of presence, of showing up where people are in ways that feel real. Whether that’s a physical space or a shared experience, we shouldn't ignore this. Because the future of business isn’t just digital. It’s people working with people. So, good for you, Starbucks! (Article link in comments) #marketing #cmo #customerexperience #futureofwork

In today’s increasingly isolated world, I have always viewed books as the ultimate currency for fostering connection. …..Conversations are had. ……………..Communities are built. Here’s how this is achieved: 💡Shared Experience When people read the same book, they share a common experience. This shared narrative can serve as a conversation starter, bringing people together to discuss their thoughts, emotions, and interpretations of the text. 💡Empathy and Understanding Books often delve into diverse perspectives and experiences. Reading about characters from different backgrounds or facing unique challenges can promote empathy and understanding among readers, encouraging them to discuss and reflect on these themes. 💡Safe Conversational Space Book discussions provide a structured and safe space for dialogue. Participants can express their opinions, ask questions, and engage in meaningful conversations without fear of judgment. 💡Intellectual Stimulation Books challenge readers to think critically, analyze complex issues, and explore new ideas. Engaging in book discussions stimulates intellectual curiosity and encourages participants to broaden their horizons. 💡Community Building Book clubs and reading groups create a sense of belonging. People with a shared interest in reading come together, forming connections and friendships that extend beyond the books themselves. 💡Breaking Isolation In an increasingly digital world, books provide an opportunity for people to disconnect from screens and engage with printed material. This break from constant digital connectivity can reduce feelings of isolation. Ray Oldenburg's concept of "Third Places" highlights the importance of informal, public gathering spaces beyond home (first place) and work (second place). Book groups can fit into this concept in several ways: 💡Social Interaction Book groups provide a physical location for people to meet and interact. They offer a "third place" where participants can engage in social conversations outside the home and workplace. 💡Community Engagement: Book groups often meet in local libraries, bookstores, or cafes, contributing to the vitality of these community spaces. They bring people into these establishments, fostering community engagement. 💡Sense of Belonging: Just like Oldenburg's ideal "third places," book groups create a sense of belonging. Participants feel that they are part of a community that values reading and thoughtful discussion. Books and book groups play a vital role in counteracting isolation by providing a platform for shared experiences, meaningful conversations, and community building. They align with the concept of "Third Places" by transforming physical locations into social, cultural, and intellectual hubs that foster connections and a sense of belonging. This captures the essence of our mission at “Great Books + Great Minds” of igniting a new world of community, connection, and conversation, one book at a time.

Every city needs more places where people can gather, create, and belong. In a recent article by Andria Cheng for CoStar News, we get a closer look at Fabrik, a startup reimagining coworking by blending community, creativity, and connection. Their model is transforming underused office space into “third places”....not quite home, not quite work, but somewhere in between, while providing the much-needed human interaction that people need. Think yoga sessions, writer circles, artist meetups - programming that draws people out of isolation and into meaningful interaction. And they’re doing it with flexible, short-term leases and little-to-no buildout, making it profitable faster for both operator and landlord. Why it caught my eye: this approach could work in Hampton Roads. We have plenty of buildings with good bones sitting underused in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and beyond. Fabrik’s concept is about leasing space + reactivating it in a way that adds value to the building and the community. But to make something like this viable here, municipalities need to make it easier to rezone buildings that are currently locked into single-use office designations. The demand is shifting, and zoning needs to catch up. Cheng’s article is a solid read for anyone thinking creatively about office space and the future of work (link in the comments). Let’s keep asking the question: "What else could this office building become?" #adaptivereuse

An interesting NBER study reveals that Starbucks cafés significantly boost local entrepreneurship in areas lacking existing coffee shops. • 5.0-11.8% increase in annual startups over 7 years • Larger stores and high-traffic locations show even greater effects • Cafés in underprivileged areas demonstrate the most significant impact It is the vital role of "third places" in our communities. In our increasingly digital world, cafes serve as crucial hubs for human connection, idea exchange, and networking. Here is to the city planners: Strategic placement of gathering spaces can catalyze entrepreneurship and community development. It's a powerful reminder of the importance of physical spaces in nurturing growth and social cohesion.