In the world of sociology, a “third place” is a location separate from work and home (the two places where most people spend the majority of their time): so coffee houses, bars, gyms, parks, and libraries can all be third places, depending on how they’re used.
This concept is considered to be worthy of study because accessible, welcoming third places tend to be associated with more connected, open, democratic, and socially plugged-in societies, possibly because having neutral areas where people can come and go as they please, where hierarchies are moderated, and where there’s no set agenda (which allows people to chit-chat, hang out, and do as much or little socializing as they like) allows for greater cross-pollination and social exchange than is common (or even possible) in the home or workplace.
Such locales also tend to increase perceived commonalities between people and groups (probably via the “mere-exposure” or “familiarity effect”), strengthen perceived communal ties (especially weak ones) and a sense of ownership of and responsibility toward community spaces, and improve reported quality of life for those who have access to them.
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