Urban Planning: “The Great Good Place” by Ray Oldenburg

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The general theme of the Book “The Great Good Place.”

“The Great Good Place” is a book written by Ray Oldenburg, a metropolitan socialist from Florida. The significance of casual and open gathering places is the main theme of the book. Oldenburg, in the book, explains why such gathering places are important to society and public life. He claims that in a community, the central things that help in creating regional democracy include the bars, salons as well as general stores. These places, according to him, are in contrast to “the first and second places of home and work” (Oldenburg, 1999). By looking at how these places operate and the role they play, the author offers insights for persons and societies all over the globe.

Oldenburg refers to third places as the “great good places,” where members of the public gather and interrelate. He argues that these places are different from first and second places, which include home and work, respectively. He adds that third places allow the community to set aside their personal concerns and take pleasure in the company and discussions around them. According to Oldenburg, “third places host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work” (Oldenburg, 1999).

He proposes that bars, main streets, tea rooms, salons, and other third places are the central points to a community’s social vivacity and the base of a functioning democracy. These places, according to the author, help in encouraging social equality among the citizens by offering mental support for the locals as well as a foundation that the people can use for local politics. He states that “What suburbia cries for are the means for people to gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably — a ‘place on the corner,’ real-life alternatives to television, easy escapes from the cabin fever of marriage and family life that do not necessitate getting into an automobile ” (Oldenburg, 1999).

He sums up his work by concluding that, “In the absence of informal public life, living becomes more expensive. Where the means and facilities for relaxation and leisure are not publicly shared, they become the objects of private ownership and consumption” (Oldenburg, 1999).

Authors purpose for writing the book

The author wrote the book in 1999 in an attempt to show the significance of casual and open gathering places, which he referred to as “third places.” He had realized that social interactions in the community had decreased and was therefore trying to bring them back to society by emphasizing the importance of such relations.

Content and organization of the book

The book is divided into three parts, Part I, II, and III. In part I, the author explains the concept of the third place in the United States, explores the features of third places, and summarizes the “personal benefits” and “greater good” which occur as a result of developing and maintaining third places. He states, “My interest in those happy gathering places that a community may contain, those ‘homes away from home’ where unrelated people relate, is almost as old as I am” (Oldenburg, 1999, p.6).

He says that his love, appreciation, and commitment to third places act as an encouragement for persons trying to justify their dedication to societal collaboration.

The second part of the book is like an excursion through several intercontinental third places. The author starts this part by analyzing the “old-world German and early German-American beer garden” (Oldenburg, 1999, p.90).

He states that the informal German social place was a “base of viable community life” while the German- American pub was “a parent form of association out of which the more formally organized activities would emerge” (Oldenburg, 1999, p.90).

In the last part of the book, the author talks about the factors threatening third places. He begins by criticizing the urban sprawl for its role in endangering America’s third place. He then deals with the problems faced by these places as a result of being open to all classes and sexes. He concludes the section with a summary of the significance of different sex bindings.

Evaluation of the book “The Great Good Place” in terms of knowledge of urban studies

The book has put into words and focuses on all the characteristics of urban life by arguing that a third place is a place where public members can “hang out.” The author has defined these places by identifying the magical chemistry that these places need. The author of the book trusts that the need for humans to relate with one another will, without doubt, lead to the revitalization of places where human beings enjoy each other’s company. The book verifies people’s need for excitement through discussions in the “great good places”(Oldenburg, 1999).

The author passionately writes about the current problems in America, which have resulted from the nation’s rising social isolation and provides the reader with a simple solution. According to the author, Americans should read and respond to the rational answer to salving their stressed lives. The government needs to encourage, permit and zone conscientious neighborhood hospitality, which realizes the importance of “a vital informal life.”

Conclusion

The Great Good Place is a good book that should be read by almost every citizen of the United States. The book gives a good evaluation of gathering places by reminding persons of their importance. The Great Value book is most acclaimed for its ability to help people handle everyday problems that will include the community. The book has had a greater influence on people’s perception of communal collaboration compared to all other books dealing with the same subject.

Reference

Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place: cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of the community. New York: Marlowe.

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