Ray Oldenburg (April 7, 1932 – November 21, 2022) was an American urban sociologist who is known for writing about the importance of informal public gathering places for a functioning civil society, democracy, and civic engagement.
[3][4] Oldenburg suggests that beer gardens, main streets, pubs, cafés, coffeehouses, post offices, and other "third places" are the heart of a community's social vitality and the foundation of a functioning democracy.
[5] They promote social equality by leveling the status of guests, provide a setting for grassroots politics, create habits of public association, and offer psychological support to individuals and communities.
Thus, the existence of third places offers individuals a neutral public space for connecting and establishing bonds with others in a non-purposeful environment.
Third places "host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.