Americans’ daily lives have quietly narrowed since the pandemic. We move between home and work but spend far less time in the informal spaces in between. The places where people once lingered, talked, and got to know one another—coffee shops, parks, libraries, recreation centers, diners, church basements, and barbershops—are used less often or have disappeared altogether.
Ray Oldenburg described these settings in his 1989 book The Great Good Place, calling them “third places.” He argued that they are vessels of friendship, citizenship, and the everyday practice of pluralism. They also shape how people connect across income lines, how opportunity travels, and how young people envision their futures.
For foundations and donors focused on opportunity, belonging, and civic health, third places deserve renewed attention, not only as amenities but as essential community infrastructure.
National surveys confirm how much these spaces have shrunk. The American Social Capital Survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life reports that roughly half of Americans rarely visited a park in the past year. Large majorities seldom go to libraries or community centers, especially in low-income and rural communities. There are simply too few places where people can gather without an invitation or membership.
Declining usage is only part of the story. In many communities, third places have physically disappeared entirely. For example, independent retail and service businesses that often serve as community gathering spots have vanished. Retail analysts projected up to 15,000 U.S. store closures in 2025, with closures far outpacing openings and more than 7,300 brick-and-mortar locations shutting in 2024 alone. Membership in many local civic and fraternal organizations has also waned, with lodges and clubs that once anchored neighborhoods shrinking or closing entirely.
