When you’re not at work or at home, where can you be found? For some, it might be a local coffee shop, while others might prefer a nearby library or a public park. Regardless of your answer, the place that you seek out for casual conversation or meaningful community connection is considered your “third place.”

With remote and hybrid work structures persisting post-pandemic, and feelings of loneliness becoming increasingly prevalent, the value of community has never been greater. And yet, third places seem to be disappearing. “Despite the fact that most of the country lives near a bar, movie theater, restaurant, or park, the Survey Center on American Life found that 56% of Americans in 2021 said they had a third place they frequent, down from 67% in 2019,” reported Vox.

What does this loss signify for individuals, and why is it occurring now, just as community-building is becoming a priority for many leaders and organizations? The challenges are clear, but so are the opportunities for solutions. Fortunately, companies can and do play a significant role in promoting third places.

Defining Your Third Place

Third places, defined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his book Celebrating The Third Place, are “public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact.” In contrast to your home, which is your first place, and your work, which is your second place, third places are informal and accessible public spots to hangout and meet acquaintances, mull through some ideas, or catch up with friends.

In times of loneliness, third places offer refuge and restoration. “People who have a regular third place greatly expand their circle of friends; they laugh more often; they are more engaged in their community; they are happier; they live longer,” according to Richard Kyte, a professor of leadership and ethics at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. At a time when one in three Americans feels lonely every week, having a third place could significantly mitigate negative coping behaviors like distraction-seeking and abusing alcohol, while increasing overall well-being.

In his book Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way), Kyte expresses the impact of these locations for not only the individual, but also communities at large. “[They] serve as gateways so people new to the area can get to know their neighbors; they function as incubators for new ideas; they serve as safety nets for people in crisis; they build social trust; they decrease political polarization,” Kyte writes. So why are these beneficial spaces becoming harder to find?

A Seemingly Sudden Disappearance of Third Places

In part, the loss of third places can be attributed to the social-distancing days of Covid and lasting changes to physical spaces. During the pandemic, our ability to be in third places was disrupted, and it hasn’t fully recovered. Businesses closed, neighborhoods changed, furniture was removed. But even before the pandemic, third places were already losing their significance in the face of trends like cocooning. People started to value individualized forms of leisure more, and ultimately became comfortable just staying at home in their free time. This wasn’t always the way.

Starbucks’ founder and former CEO, Howard Schultz, built a brand that encouraged people to connect in their shops. At one point, it wasn’t uncommon to see people chatting over a cup of coffee or with their laptops propped to complete work.

As the stores blanketed the U.S. and beyond, they became a third place to many. “But over the past decade, comfy chairs have largely disappeared, replaced by hard wooden ones, the better to push people back out to their homes and offices. The company has also turned finding electrical outlets to plug in computers or phones into somewhat of a treasure hunt,” reports the Harvard Business Review. To help restore the vibe that made it popular, the company named a new CEO this week, with founder Schultz declaring: “Senior leaders—including board members—need to spend more time with those who wear the green apron.”

Another reason for the loss of third places is tied to the rise in internet use and increase in subcultures of people connecting virtually. “It’s a strange paradox, Gen-Z are hyperconnected in the virtual world but socially disconnected,” wrote Kian Bakhtiari in Forbes. Social media platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok foster spaces for self-expression, connecting people with similar interests. These online communities, however, risk replacing the in-person gatherings and socializing that could be held in public spaces.

“The internet, mobile phones and video games have opened a multiverse of new connections and opportunities. Yet digital interactions have failed to replace the need to connect on an emotional level in the physical world,” according to Bakhtiari. And for many, it’s nearly impossible to disconnect from these virtual spaces, given they facilitate effortless and potentially global connections.

Technology, in a broader sense, has also impacted the way we engage in physical spaces. The nature of how we interact within these environments has evolved, and not necessarily for the better. “If you think about the way our physical spaces affect our relations to one another, you will begin to understand … why our leisure activities over the past century have changed from mostly active (playing games together) to mostly passive (being entertained),” writes Kyte. The rise of technology, such as screens and sound systems, has shifted spaces that once encouraged interaction into ones focused on transactions or devoid of engagement altogether.

The Business Impact: Actions For Leaders

While third places exist outside the workplace, how and where we work affects our access to and enjoyment of them. The loss of these spaces can lead to more stressed and isolated workers, and leaders know that a healthy worker is a productive one. But there are a variety of ways that business leaders can promote third places. Among them:

Provide Customers With a Third Place

Some businesses have the opportunity to provide their customers with a third place. Companies can reimagine (or, in Starbucks’ case, revert to past practices) and create these spaces as hubs for connection. Companies can enhance the sense of community in their stores and workplaces by creating experiences that foster meaningful interactions for those who seek them. “This means separating mobile and drive-through orders from the on-premise ones to minimize interactions between the different crowds. It also means reinvesting in comfort and amenities for people who want to hang around,” as reported in Harvard Business Review. What it really requires is thoughtful attention to the spaces where people connect, something that has been top of mind in the era of returning to the office.

Similarly, entrepreneur Meng Liu, who sought community amid the hustle of city life, established Wowza Hangout, a social club designed to unite people through shared interests and activities. “A crucial component of these hangouts are their settings: board game cafés, bars, museums, parks. They’re venues that populate a vibrant city like New York, but where attendees might feel awkward approaching someone they don’t know,” Liu told Vox. Liu's club aims to break down some of the barriers of connection, making it easier for people to meet in familiar yet inviting environments.

Harness CSR to Cultivate Community

Companies can also leverage their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to create or support spaces that foster connection. In San Francisco, Salesforce funds a public park with lush walking trails and lawns for sitting, an amphitheater, and even on-demand board games. While not every company can fund an entire park, they can promote volunteerism to support local parks and other existing third places. These CSR efforts benefit both the community and employees, boosting wellness and engagement.

Encourage Flexible Work

Flexible work schedules can provide employees with the time they need to invest in their communities. Work-life balance isn’t a new concept, but with opportunities for hybrid work, employees can seek out these places even during business hours. JLL’s 2022 Workplace Preferences Barometer found that improved flexibility has increased not only the ability, but the desire to work in cafes, lounges, and co-working spaces.

With some employees continuing to work fully remotely after the pandemic, the distinction between home and office has become blurred. Co-working spaces are designed for work but can also serve as a third place, allowing employees to connect and collaborate in a public setting that is both affordable and accessible.

“Corporations and organizations, many with newly reduced real estate footprints of their own, are becoming the biggest third place consumers,” according to the co-working platform Liquid Space. “C-suite leaders are striving to use space more efficiently. Providing employees with access to high-quality, flexible third space co-working environments near their homes and their teammates is one way they’re doing it.” The use of co-working spaces not only encourages employees to collaborate, but also to venture out in their neighborhoods. Hybrid work isn’t just about working from the couch anymore. About 36% of employees work in third places at least once a week, an increase of 8% from the previous year, according to JLL’s report.

Ultimately, third places offer a sense of fulfillment, so everyone should do their part to help preserve them. These special spaces are “where we turn together, cultivating friendships, broadening and deepening our own lives and the lives of those around us. It is in conversation that we find belonging,” writes Kyte. And in today’s world, belonging matters more than ever.

Erin Behrens is an associate editor at From Day One.