Walk down a typical street in a newly developed American suburb, and you will notice a striking absence: there is nowhere to sit. The sidewalks, if they exist at all, are narrow ribbons designed purely for transit, not for lingering.
Third places
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term third places to describe public spaces outside of home and work where people gather. Cafes, barbershops, public squares, local pubs: these are the engines of community.
Designing connection
Reversing this trend requires more than logging off. It requires streets that slow cars down, plazas that invite lingering, and zoning that mixes residential and commercial spaces.
