What is a third place?

What is the origin of the word “third place”?

The notion of “third place” was originally coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg in a 1989 book, “The Great, Good Place,” to define hybrid places in the city:“Places that are neither home nor work. Hybrid places that are situated between public and private spaces, thus contributing to economic development and the activation of local resources.”

While digital manufacturing third places were long considered the preserve of large urban centers in France, they have since largely demonstrated their role in regenerating rural areas and anchoring new forms of innovation and development, outside of metropolitan contexts.

What is the definition of a third place?

A third place can be defined as an open space where individuals can come together to work, acquire knowledge and/or skills, meet, or simply exchange informally. As new places for social connection, emancipation, and collective initiatives, third places have developed thanks to the deployment of digital technology throughout the country.

A broad definition of third places is that they are physical spaces for doing things together: coworking, micro-madness, connected campus, shared workshop, fab lab, living lab, hacker space, maker space, solidarity garage, social place, cultural wasteland, public service center… Indeed, there are no specific characteristics inherent to third places: each has its own specificity, its own operation, its own funding method, its own community. The common point of such initiatives is that they allow for informal meetings, interactions and social innovation.

What is a rural third place?

Third places in rural areas help foster connections between people from different ecosystems in order to foster new local cooperation, or to avoid employees having to commute by allowing them to work remotely from such locations. Thus, a rural third place can revitalize a city or neighborhood by establishing a new living space in areas that are often isolated.

What are the different types of third places?

There is no "standard model" for third places, as these spaces are built according to the needs of citizens and businesses, the dynamics of associations, and the specific characteristics of a given area. Indeed, whether for work, experimenting with new social and economic models, seeking a service, or simply connecting with the community, third places are open to anyone who wants to experience a new vision for creating innovation and value in their local areas.

What is a third place of activity?

Through shared workspaces, third places of activity encourage exchange, collaboration, the development of joint projects, the pooling of resources (premises, tools, skills, networks, etc.), and the sharing of values. These are found in certain third places (Creative House, Startup Studio, etc.) that can provide end-to-end support for the viability of an innovative company and the marketing of its solutions and products through an equity investment upon entry into the acceleration program.

What is an innovation third place?

Innovation third places seek to stimulate innovation processes by bringing together a variety of stakeholders (researchers, economic actors, and users), based on sharing, experimentation, and prototyping.

Open to everyone, individuals and professionals alike, they provide all kinds of tools, including computer-controlled machine tools for designing and producing objects (3D printers, laser cutters, etc.).

They are aimed in particular at entrepreneurs, designers, associations, artists, DIY enthusiasts, and students who want to move more quickly from the concept phase to the prototyping phase, from the prototyping phase to the development phase, from the development phase to the deployment phase, etc.

What is a social third place?

Social third places are based on a stated social objective, focused on societal issues, citizen participation, social entrepreneurship, or democratic transitions. These third places are strongly structured around actors in the collaborative economy, the digital economy, and the SSE (Social and Solidarity Economy).

Open to all audiences, they also provide discovery, training, learning and support services for the use of digital technology, and also promote local human relations, intergenerational encounters and support local associative project leaders through the creation and management of communities.

What is a public service third place?

Public service third places: with no imposed legal form, these places can be run by a local authority, an EPCI (public inter-municipal cooperation agency), a public service operator, or an association. They provide local services and personalized support, facilitate administrative procedures (via open-access internet connections, interactive communication tools, and videoconferencing), and improve the quality of public services. They also aim to regenerate deprived areas, make rural areas more attractive, and open up the most isolated areas.

What is a cultural third place?

Cultural third places are spaces centered around artistic events that aim to create and enliven the cultural life of the area. They provide a link between a region's cultural stakeholders (public, non-profit) and cultural wastelands. They can be an important vehicle for revitalizing areas due to their attractiveness: exhibitions, evening events, concerts, etc.