Listen at Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. And take a look at the latest shows, in which we talk about third places in different places and countries.
Karen Christensen and Ray Oldenburg corresponded and worked together for 20 years before meeting in person. Christensen was senior academic editor of the award-winning Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World (Berkshire) (SAGE) and Oldenburg was associate editor for Social Life coverage.
“A timely, comprehensive, and very welcome overview of a rich and rapidly growing field of inquiry.” –Robert D. Putnam, author of Bowling Alone
“Incredibly, this is the first encyclopedia to focus on community as concept and experience, so stands alone in its field. Essential for all readerships.” —Choice
What is a third place? How to find one?
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” to describe a wide range of familiar and precious spots that previously had no name. He wrote about many third places in his acclaimed 1989 The Great Good Place. (What is a third place? Here is Ray’s description.) The sequel, The Great Good Place II, written by Oldenburg’s long-time collaborator Karen Christensen and including more than 90% fresh material, will be published in 2026. Karen spoke at the Third Place Summit in The Netherlands and at Placemaking México in January 2026 and her posts and podcasts about third places are available here.
The Great Good Place: Third Places Revisited how third places (sometimes called third spaces) – cafes, diners, coffee shops, tea parlors, hair salons, barber shops, pubs and taverns, taquerias, libraries, bookshops, and street corners – have a vital role to play in solving the big challenges of climate change, loneliness, and political polarization.
Check out our blog and our Third Places newsletter on Substack. You can preorder the new book, and get a copy of the original, still available in print and now in ebook.
Karen explains how Ray Oldenburg identified third places and their importance, and tackles new topics:
- How can we help disaffected, lonely young men?
- How can we build “bridging” relationships to break through political polarization?
- Why are more and more people cocooning at home when we face an epidemic of loneliness?
- Why are phones having such a negative effect on young people in spite of their longing for community?
A French book on third places (tiers lieux) includes an interview where Karen explains how she and Oldenburg corresponded for 20 years and eventually decided to collaborate. Read that interview here.
Bowling alleys ● After-church lunches ● Barber shops ● Fast food restaurants ● Automats ● Osterias ● Taquerias ● Hair salons ● General stores ● Hardware stores ● Cafes ● Coffee shops ● Taverns ● Pubs ● Parks ● Libraries ● Bookstores ● Beer gardens ● Bistros ● Saunas ● Sentos ● Geothermal baths ● Dojos ● Street corners ● StoopsBowling alleys ● After-church lunches ● Barber shops ● Fast food restaurants ● Automats ● Osterias ● Taquerias ● Hair salons ● General stores ● Hardware stores ● Cafes ● Coffee shops ● Taverns ● Pubs ● Parks ● Libraries ● Bookstores ● Beer gardens ● Bistros ● Saunas ● Sentos ● Geothermal baths ● Dojos ● Street corners ● Stoops
The original 1989 edition is still available, in print, Kindle ebook, and PDF ebook. Available from all booksellers through Ingram Global, as well as ProQuest, JStor, and more. Order from Berkshire Publishing.
The new version, by Ray Oldenburg and his long-time collaborator Karen Christensen, brings the story up to the minute, showing how third places help us solve climate change, loneliness, and political polarization. Pre-order now and pay when book is released at $29.99 plus shipping.
The long-awaited sequel
In the forthcoming The Great Good Place II, Karen Christensen and Ray Oldenburg show how third places have a vital role to play in solving climate change, loneliness, and political polarization – and make us healthier to boot!
Explore real-life examples from around the world: bars and bistros, taquerias and teahouses, stoops and saunas, and much more. The authors delve into practical design and economic issues, encouraging readers to create and nurture the special places where, as the song goes, everyone knows your name. This new book is a completely new version of the late Ray Oldenburg’s influential 1989 book that introduced the concept of the third place, written by his long-time correspondent and collaborator Karen Christensen, senior editor of the 4-volume SAGE Encyclopedia of Community.
The authors tackle questions like these:
Supported by a grant from Mass Cultural Council
- What is the difference between third places and public spaces?
- Does a third place have to be free or cheap?
- Can third places require membership?
- Do third places need public funding?
- What design elements help third places thrive?
- How do you find (or create) a third place?
The original edition of The Great Good Place has been translated into many languages and is known around the world.
“Oldenburg has given us an insightful and extremely useful new lens through which to look at a familiar problem… ” –Roberta Gratz, “Editor’s Choice,” New York Times Book Review.“
“A day doesn’t go by that I don’t refer to Ray Oldenburg’s The Great Good Place. At a time when all great, good independent bookstores every where are under siege, we’re fortunate that Mr. Oldenburg has articulated our message so clearly.” –Mitchell Kaplan, owner, Books & Books, Miami, Florida
Below you’ll find a few of our photographs, old and new, of third places. We also have photographs from far-flung friends and colleagues. We’ll be crediting them individually as we publish, but also want to salute them here: Noah Lev Bartell-Mangel (UMass), Alex Marshall (Prague), Cathy Giuffre (Pietrasanta), and more to come.
