"What is a 'Third Place' and Why do They Matter?," a Zube Lecture Presented by Karen Christensen

Please join the UMass Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning for "What is a 'Third Place' and Why do They Matter?," a Zube Lecture presented by Karen Christensen on Thursday, September 26th at 4pm in the Design Building Lecture Hall (DB 170).

The term “third place” was coined in 1989 by sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1932-2022) in The Great Good Place, meaning happy gathering places that are neither home nor work. He saw that third places - cafes, taverns, bowling alleys, barbershops, and general stores – could be found around the world, providing fertile ground for human interaction, enhancing individual well-being, and contributing to the common good. Karen Christensen corresponded with Oldenburg for 20 years before meeting him, and he left her the job of writing a sequel to his landmark book. Christensen suggests that third places are the key to solving climate change, loneliness, and political polarization, and brings a cross-cultural perspective to issues including diversity, economics, and public transit.

Karen Christensen was senior editor of the SAGE Encyclopedia of Community and is coauthor of the forthcoming new version of The Great Good Place.  Karen grew up in the Silicon Valley, lived in London and New York City, and now lives in Great Barrington, Mass. She is a writer, publisher, and research associate at the Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Karen also founded the Train Campaign, a nonprofit effort to expand passenger rail service in the northeast.