Speaker 1: Al Zone Media.
Speaker 2: Welcome to Kaben Here. I'm Andrew Sage from the UTUE channel.
Speaker 3: Andrewism and today you will be shedding light on a
Speaker 3: recently popular discussion on the problems with modern cities and
Speaker 3: more specifically the growing absence of third places. Now love
Speaker 3: them or hate them, cities are here to stay and
Speaker 3: if you spend any time on urban plan and YouTube,
Speaker 3: or really just looked around, you know they have some issues.
Speaker 3: Traffic congestion is a big one, a notorious nemesis of
Speaker 3: modern cities, stemming from increased population, poort uban planning, and
Speaker 3: excessive vehicle usage, creating a big waste of time and
Speaker 3: streaming our well being. There are also issues of physical
Speaker 3: and mental health among city inhabitants.
Speaker 2: The environmental impact of luban areas can be quite terrible.
Speaker 2: Housing issues seem to be globally hellish, but still be
Speaker 2: People flock to cities because that's where the opportunities are.
Speaker 2: Hence the growth of slums and the overall straining infrastructure
Speaker 2: like utilities and transportation, and the functionality of cities, many
Speaker 2: of which are currently well above their capacity. Of course,
Speaker 2: many of these issues just don't touch the wealthy in
Speaker 2: the same way. Within the city's gleaming skyscrapers lie stock
Speaker 2: disparities and income access to resources and opportunities. I for
Speaker 2: another issue, more relevantile discussionaire. In the midst of a crowd,
Speaker 2: even dwellers often grapple with feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
Speaker 2: The paradox are being surrounded by people yet feeling totally alone.
Speaker 2: In a seminar work, The Great Good Place, published in
Speaker 2: nineteen eighty nine, American sociologist Ray Olenberg presents a captivator
Speaker 2: notion for a balance and fulfilling life, a harmony among
Speaker 2: the three spheres, the home, of the workplace, and the.
Speaker 4: Realm of third places.
Speaker 2: These third places encompass inclusive social settings crucial for community
Speaker 2: bonding and foster and meaningful interactions. Now, as for what
Speaker 2: qualifies a third place, common examples come to mind cafes, pubs, stoops, parks. However,
Speaker 2: not every cafe, pubs, stupa park captures the essence of
Speaker 2: a true third place as Oldenburg described it. Historically, their
Speaker 2: places have been a powerful force in shaping the course
Speaker 2: of revolutions and cultural movements. During the American Revolution, the
Speaker 2: tavern was a vital health of political discourse. In the
Speaker 2: French Revolution, the cafe was a crucial meeting place for
Speaker 2: the revolutionary, intelligentia and common people. During the Enlightenment, coffeehouses
Speaker 2: in London assumed a central role in foster and the
Speaker 2: intellectual and cultural transformation of society, and during the Harlem Renaissance,
Speaker 2: third places could be found in theaters, churches, jazz cafes
Speaker 2: and more, servin as vital he events for African American musicians, writers, intellectuals,
Speaker 2: the source to develop and celebrate cultural identity. Oldenberg outlines
Speaker 2: eight key characteristics that define the allure of these communal spaces.
Speaker 2: He takes a rather strict approach, and this is key,
Speaker 2: emphasizing that his description excludes the maturity of venues even
Speaker 2: if they exhibit some of these defining traits. And I
Speaker 2: suppose you can argue with that, but I think that's
Speaker 2: equival I've had with the discussions about third places because
Speaker 2: people seem to be more infatuated with the vague idea
Speaker 2: of them and not so much interested in what the
Speaker 2: term has actually been coined to describe. See end with
Speaker 2: people label in all sorts of spaces, clubs, and organizations
Speaker 2: third places, even if they don't fit the criteria. At
Speaker 2: this point, the Internet has seemingly lost the plot on
Speaker 2: third places and it's taken a life on its own
Speaker 2: independent of what Oldenburg intended. But he's dead. His book
Speaker 2: is still around, but I don't think a lot of
Speaker 2: people have read it. But I did in preparation for this,
Speaker 2: and so we'll tell them some of those characteristics now.
Speaker 4: For one, a third place lies on neutral ground.
Speaker 2: No one is expected to play host for the others,
Speaker 2: no one is obligated to be there, and people are
Speaker 2: comfortable and free to come and go as they please.
Speaker 2: Three places are spaces where people can jest, be where
Speaker 2: you can where opportunities can exist for fraternization in a
Speaker 2: safe public setting that car be found in the privacy
Speaker 2: of the home or the professional boundary of the workplace.
Speaker 4: A space where a variety.
Speaker 2: Of relationships can blossom, including the ones that don't go
Speaker 2: any deeper than friendly public encounters.
Speaker 4: Secondly, the third place is a level in place.
Speaker 2: It requires no formal criteria for membership in places, no
Speaker 2: emphasis on one's social status, and provides the possibility for
Speaker 2: people of a variety of backgrounds and experiences to associate
Speaker 2: on the merit of their personality alone. Within third places,
Speaker 2: people can find friendships with those who, under ordinary circumstances,
Speaker 2: never cross paths. The third characteristic of a third place
Speaker 2: is there's a place in which conversation is meant to
Speaker 2: be the main activity.
Speaker 4: It does not have to be the only activity.
Speaker 2: For example, card games or pool or dominoes make for
Speaker 2: an excellent social lubricant, but the space should be comfortable
Speaker 2: enough to facilitate pleasurable, lighthearted, and entertaining conversation. Now, it
Speaker 2: is that difficult to create a space that can facilitate
Speaker 2: good conversation, but it's also easy to ruin the flow
Speaker 2: of good conversation. Music, personal screens, ecosistical people. They can
Speaker 2: all be quite ruinous to the social energy that a
Speaker 2: good third place tries to foster.
Speaker 4: Fourthly, third places need to be open and readily accessible.
Speaker 2: That means being accessible in the sense of being in
Speaker 2: a convenient location and open whenever the demons is lowliness,
Speaker 2: mportant strike, or when the depressures and frustrations of the
Speaker 2: day call for relaxation.
Speaker 4: A mid good company.
Speaker 2: In other words, third places are available when people need
Speaker 2: them to be. Now, the form of accessibility that will
Speaker 2: in build iscribes is not the form of accessibility that
Speaker 2: Disability Justice advocates five for, and that is one of
Speaker 2: the quibbles that I have with Rosenberg's conception of third
Speaker 2: places that are get into later.
Speaker 4: Next.
Speaker 2: Third places are given their appeal by their regulars, who
Speaker 2: help set the mood of the space and provide a
Speaker 2: welcoming environment for newcomers. Every regular was once a newcomer,
Speaker 2: and the acceptance of newcomers is essential to there sustained vitality
Speaker 2: of the third place. Sixth, third places keep a low profile.
Speaker 2: They're not exclusive, extravagant, potentious to overly fancy. They're usually
Speaker 2: openly advertised, and they seem to be older places with
Speaker 2: a sort of a modest or even CD atmosphere. They're
Speaker 2: certainly not tourist traps. Seventh, and we're almost done. Third
Speaker 2: places have a playful mood. It will go to third
Speaker 2: places for the banter and the laughter, not tension and hostility.
Speaker 2: So that's what the space is set up to encourage.
Speaker 4: See number eight.
Speaker 2: Third places are meant to be home away from home,
Speaker 2: offering a sense of intimacy, regeneration, and community that puts
Speaker 2: people at ease in a warm and friendly atmosphere. So
Speaker 2: to summarize, third places exist on neutral ground, function as
Speaker 2: equalizers or social stallus. Provide an environment where conversations are
Speaker 2: the center, keep a low profile, are open and accommodating,
Speaker 2: have an essence shape by their regulars, characterized by playfulness
Speaker 2: and a sense of home away from home. Third places,
Speaker 2: with their unique characteristics, present an array of advantages. There
Speaker 2: are only enhanced individual social and conversational skills, but also
Speaker 2: foster a sense of genuine connection and belonging within the community.
Speaker 2: Third places are arrested for the monot need daily life
Speaker 2: under the weight of modern capitalism. They inject much needed
Speaker 2: novelty into our routines, often a diverse and free flow
Speaker 2: in atmosphere that stands apart from the rigidity of our
Speaker 2: daily grind.
Speaker 4: They are a bond for.
Speaker 2: Emotional wellbeing, a spiritual tonic and the loss that's happen
Speaker 2: to our creative and expressive selves. Crucially, third places offer
Speaker 2: what Oldenburg coined as friends by the set. They provide
Speaker 2: convenience spaces for social gatherings, offering routine and reliable interactions
Speaker 2: with a diverse array of individuals both casually and intimately,
Speaker 2: without the hassle of scheduling meetups. Unfortunately, third places kind
Speaker 2: of fell off in many areas, obviously not everywhere, but
Speaker 2: especially in places where American style urban sprawl and suburbia
Speaker 2: has proliferated. I've been describing the characteristics and benefits and
Speaker 2: historical potency of these spaces, but I've only gotten small
Speaker 2: tastes of some of these myself and for a lot
Speaker 2: of people, I think, particularly of my generation. Besides, perhaps
Speaker 2: the approximate experience of a college common room, third places
Speaker 2: are a distant cultural memory, not a lived experience. So
Speaker 2: Oldenburg basically asks what's up with that? And, according to him,
Speaker 2: the blame for this spanisional falls squarely on the suburbs.
Speaker 2: These sprawl and enclaves prioritized private abodes over public spaces,
Speaker 2: perfatuating and isolated narrative that confines the good life within
Speaker 2: individual homes and yards. Suburban designs, often imposed by distant developers,
Speaker 2: stifle community connections. Few opportunities exist within them for organic
Speaker 2: social interaction beyond your immediate neighbors. The car centric layout
Speaker 2: further thoughts the revival of the placers, as reliance and
Speaker 2: cars diminishes chances and counters, and informal gathering spots along
Speaker 2: daily routes, fostering a culture of detachment among neighbors. But
Speaker 2: it's not just the suburbs suffering this issue. Urban environments
Speaker 2: too have succumbed to efficiency and profit sacrifice in space
Speaker 2: for genuine human connection. Standardized franchise chains dominate eras in
Speaker 2: the character and charm that encourage communal interaction, replacing it
Speaker 2: sterile environments. And technology hasn't exactly aided third places either,
Speaker 2: as the alert of the Internet has been a substitute
Speaker 2: for real life interaction that tends to.
Speaker 4: Keep people indoors.
Speaker 2: Sure, you can see the Internet as the frontier for
Speaker 2: new third places, and in some ways they are, but
Speaker 2: not quite in the same way. And of course, I
Speaker 2: mean unless qual its out, even though Wordenberg doesn't. Capitalism
Speaker 2: plays a significant role in the decline of third places.
Speaker 2: Work life imbalances leave scant time for social engagements to
Speaker 2: relentless cmercialization, prioritization of public spaces, gentrification, close intraditional hubs,
Speaker 2: and profit driven urban designs all contribute to this decline.
Speaker 4: The disappearance of third places.
Speaker 2: Isn't an accident of history, but a consequence of our
Speaker 2: modern societal choices.
Speaker 4: And systemic pressures.
Speaker 2: So all those ideas have been catched on a lot lately,
Speaker 2: especially with younger generations. Like I said, it's this distant
Speaker 2: yet learned cultural memory for obvious reasons, though things kind
Speaker 2: of suck right now, and a lot of people are
Speaker 2: taken a half understood grasp of the concept and running
Speaker 2: wild with it, Like for example, I will see some
Speaker 2: people like just Blankets applying the.
Speaker 4: Internet as the new third place.
Speaker 2: And while there are corners of the Internet that do
Speaker 2: approximate that experience, and I recognize the potential of virtual
Speaker 2: spaces such as discord to embody the characteristics of third places,
Speaker 2: I fully believe that virtual third places lack the tangible
Speaker 2: elements inherent in traditional spaces that are essential for fostering
Speaker 2: deep emotional connections and empathy that are fighter for healthy
Speaker 2: community life. These social media platforms, particularly sites like Twitter,
Speaker 2: often lack the authenticity and nuanced communication present and face
Speaker 2: to face interactions. That's by design, of course, Twitter thrives
Speaker 2: on conflict. That's why I'm not there anymore. But it's
Speaker 2: all too easy on sites like those the miss interpret
Speaker 2: intentions or to use anonymity for negative interactions like cyber.
Speaker 4: Bullion, trolling, or online harassment.
Speaker 2: In real life, trolls get kicked out, bulliers, in some
Speaker 2: cases are dealt with people who are harassing people also
Speaker 2: tend to get kicked out, but online all those things
Speaker 2: often run rampant. Moreover, the permanents of online interactions can
Speaker 2: hinder the relaxed vulnerability often experience in traditional spaces, as
Speaker 2: everything is recorded, which makes trust easier to breach.
Speaker 4: But despite my critique of how.
Speaker 2: Some people have been run in with the term third places,
Speaker 2: I think the actual book and its concepts do deserve
Speaker 2: furtherest rutiny, and in my view, articalization will in book's
Speaker 2: idea of the whole in the workplace. In the third
Speaker 2: place is a sort of a pecking order. It also
Speaker 2: really sidelines domestic labor as like not really work as
Speaker 2: if it's separate from the workplace, And I also don't
Speaker 2: like the idea of work being prioritized over like essential
Speaker 2: social interaction.
Speaker 5: I think there's also the interesting aspect now that for
Speaker 5: a lot of people like myself included, working home are
Speaker 5: now the same spot and there is. Ever since the pandemic,
Speaker 5: there's been a large searge of people working from home,
Speaker 5: which kind of complicates this dynamic.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, pre industrialization. I think especially that idea also
Speaker 4: coincide it.
Speaker 2: You know, the first and the second place, the home
Speaker 2: in the workplace, we're also a bit blurred, and now
Speaker 2: I think we're witness in a similar blurred today, you know,
Speaker 2: post industrialization, and as a consequence of the pandemic with
Speaker 2: remote would work really catching on and blearing those lines
Speaker 2: for sure. I think another major oversighting Oldenbook's work is
Speaker 2: the gender bias within.
Speaker 4: Historical and contemporary three places.
Speaker 2: You know, these spaces have been predominantly male dominated or
Speaker 2: gender segregated. I think it's nostalgia for three places, which
Speaker 2: you kind of pick up on in the book, neglects
Speaker 2: the historical limitations to women face and accessing these spaces.
Speaker 2: So I think if three Places words make a resurgence,
Speaker 2: we would definitely need to address these systemic barriers, like
Speaker 2: the double shift that many women juggle to ensure their
Speaker 2: inclusion in future three places. I think another critique I
Speaker 2: would have is on ownership control. You know, third spaces
Speaker 2: are touted as neutral, but when they're operating under the
Speaker 2: whims of private owners or state authorities, they very easily
Speaker 2: succumb to those profit driven motives.
Speaker 4: I don't think a community.
Speaker 2: Space, a space that is to be sent that is
Speaker 2: central to a community, should be so concentrated in the
Speaker 2: hands of private developers or private owners. I think those
Speaker 2: spaces are the types that should be collectively stewarded. There's
Speaker 2: also the cost barrier of food places, you know, due
Speaker 2: to financial constraints. I have already's able to you know,
Speaker 2: spend the time there and spend the kind of money
Speaker 2: there that those spaces kind of require for you to
Speaker 2: stay there for extended periods of time.
Speaker 4: They kind of have to buy something in all of
Speaker 4: those places.
Speaker 2: A lot of the places are alcohol oriented, which is
Speaker 2: not exactly inclusive for people who are not interested in
Speaker 2: alcohol consumption or recovering from addiction. But of course, speaking
Speaker 2: of inclusivity, Willenberg's idea of accessibility, like I said before,
Speaker 2: doesn't really come from a place of disability justice. But
Speaker 2: that has to change, you know, we need a broader
Speaker 2: grasp of accessibility, which is why, despite my critiques, I
Speaker 2: do acknowledge the merits of what are often termed as
Speaker 2: virtual third places. They save us more accessible alternatives for
Speaker 2: the immunal compromise or disabled individuals. These places break down
Speaker 2: geographical barriers, uniting people from diverse backgrounds, locations, fostering connections
Speaker 2: based on shared interests, passions, and identities with all the
Speaker 2: constraints of physical distance. And unlike physical third places, virtual
Speaker 2: third places are offered around the clock case into us
Speaker 2: as diverse lifestyles and rhythms, offering a flexibility that is
Speaker 2: really rarely found in real life settings. At the same time,
Speaker 2: though in Oullenberg's defense, he does point out that third
Speaker 2: places will not resonate with everyone. There is this popular
Speaker 2: notion that third places have to be for everybody, and
Speaker 2: then I see people criticize them, saying, oh, well, I
Speaker 2: prefer to just stay at home. I don't really like
Speaker 2: the places. I don't like social interaction or whatever, or
Speaker 2: I don't like that form of social interaction.
Speaker 4: And that's cool.
Speaker 2: You know, third places shouldn't be the sole remedy or
Speaker 2: the main remedy.
Speaker 4: For social ills.
Speaker 2: Preferences will, of course vary, and not everyone finds cafes
Speaker 2: or bars appealing, which is fine. But I still think
Speaker 2: we can radicalize third places a bit further, not just
Speaker 2: in the sense of diversifying it, but also in the
Speaker 2: sense of bringing it under popular power. You see radical
Speaker 2: to places in my vision on content to merely existing
Speaker 2: on neutral ground dictated by capital or state initiatives. Know
Speaker 2: the envisions collective grounds, common grounds where individuals not only
Speaker 2: frequent but co own these spaces invest in time, energy,
Speaker 2: and resources to ensure their survival. Imagine spaces that transcend
Speaker 2: the typical lightheartedness associated with third places. They wield the
Speaker 2: power to spark social revolutions, serving as zones for decompression,
Speaker 2: rallying spots for union activities, and nurturing ground for mutual aid,
Speaker 2: a nucleus of community driven change. But what setige radical
Speaker 2: spaces apart is not just the accessibility in location, operating hours,
Speaker 2: but also a culture of inclusivity that goes beyond nostalgia
Speaker 2: for traditionally male dominated three places. You know, it's about
Speaker 2: welcoming or broad a spectrum of perspectives againsties and abilities.
Speaker 2: Imagine that's not just a space away from home, but
Speaker 2: integrated with the neighborhoods and mixed use buildings.
Speaker 4: Fostering community into creation.
Speaker 2: As for how we bring these radical three places to life,
Speaker 2: the road Flora in Hamburg, Germany, I think provides some
Speaker 2: great inspiration.
Speaker 4: Formerly a theater.
Speaker 2: It was transformed into a political and cultural hub by
Speaker 2: activists in nineteen eighty nine. Today it stands as a
Speaker 2: symbol of resistance against against social injustice and a space
Speaker 2: pulsating with artistic expression and vibrant dialogue.
Speaker 4: Achieved that place through squatting.
Speaker 2: And squatting is risky revolutionary, but it isn't the only
Speaker 2: path for secure in such spaces. I think we can
Speaker 2: mobilize communities, empowering them to actively participate in shape in
Speaker 2: public spaces instead of waiting for decisions from above. I
Speaker 2: really like the idea of camera where the same comes from.
Speaker 1: But it's.
Speaker 4: Gorilla urban planning.
Speaker 2: You know, painting lines on the pavement for bike paths,
Speaker 2: you know, reclaiming the sidewalk, claiming spaces in your neighborhood,
Speaker 2: taking control and not asking for permission to shape the
Speaker 2: park or the spaces that you share as you see fit.
Speaker 2: It's really about, you know, co creating our environment. It's
Speaker 2: not merely accepting what's imposed upon us. Reformist strategies in
Speaker 2: instances like these can have their merits.
Speaker 4: They don't exactly advance revolution, but.
Speaker 2: You know, advocating for walkable neighborhood to improve public transportation
Speaker 2: doesn't you know, it doesn't hoot. But the crooks remain,
Speaker 2: you know, these actions, these pushing, this effort to push
Speaker 2: for reform. You know it can solely accomplish potentially some change,
Speaker 2: But the crux remains, you know, empowering people to manage
Speaker 2: their own lives and spaces, not relinquishing that power to
Speaker 2: uncare and autocrats. The decline of third places might not
Speaker 2: be catastrophic, but until we recognize and harness our power
Speaker 2: to shape physical environments, our urban social life will continue
Speaker 2: to lack of vibrancy. I think we have to acknowledge
Speaker 2: our profound influence and our surroundings and seize our agency
Speaker 2: to actively craft our spaces.
Speaker 4: All power to all the people. This is Andrew, This
Speaker 4: is a good peace.
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