New Paltz Third Places is a website designed to bring awareness to the concept and importance of third places. Specifically, this website is designed to build community and encourage the people of New Paltz to attend events and visit Third Places in their town.
Research
Part 1: Foundations
This project is based on the importance of Third Places in our communities and how we can bring more awareness to them.
Target Audience:
My project is specifically based around New Paltz and its community.
This project is focused on providing for the 18-25 age group, specifically those attending and graduating from college.
Research Findings:
In my research, I found that fewer people were going to third places and that many were shutting down for this reason. I also found that those who were aware of the concept of third places were more likely to go to such places. The research also showed that those who regularly visited third places had a better quality of life. My goal in doing this research and creating this project is to create a central source to catalog the third spaces in our community. As well as to bring awareness to what third places are and why they are important to our communities.
Personal Background:
I started this project based on my fears that once I graduate, the community that I have at school will no longer exist. As we get older and age out of school, there is a lack of connection between people and their community and a lack of places to make these connections. At school, we have clubs and community spaces that allow us to meet new people and socialize, but what do we have when we leave? I find it concerning and have seen an increasing pattern of loneliness as people get older. In my experience, American society tends to lack a healthy sense of community, and instead, it's built around individualism. While I was able to find a few places in my community back home that serve as good spaces to socialize and meet new people, it was a struggle to find them even when I was looking. I think, for this reason, it would be incredibly useful to have a resource where people can find out about community events and spaces.
Part 2a: Research Method 1 Surveys
Survey Conclusions:
From conducting this survey I got a really good idea of the places that New Paltz students are spending their time at. I confirmed that most people don’t have existing knowledge of the term “Third Place”. I also confirmed that the leading cause of people not attending third places is a lack of awareness of what they have available followed by social anxiety. It does appear that people are interested in going to third spaces and believe they would benefit from them. It also seems that people would like a source that catalogs and informs them about events and third places in their area. The most popular resource to provide this would be a website as well.
Part 2B: Research Method 2 Interviews
Interview Conclusions:
I discussed with my interviewees how there needs to be more awareness of third places. Half of the people I interviewed did not previously know the term but still agreed that there is a need for more of them. A significant point in my interviews was also the important role that digital third spaces play in our world. It seems that they could be just as important if not more important to some individuals. There seemed to also be a consensus that some of the barriers to entry of these third spaces were social anxiety, lack of awareness, safety and cost. In regards to what people are looking for from a resource, people mostly seemed interested in something digital but agreed that there needed to be advertising for it. They also seemed to want features that would allow you to filter through different third places and events to find specific ones that they would be interested in.
Part 3: Reflection and Synthesis
My goal with this project is to raise awareness for third space by creating a resource targeted at individuals in their 20s (but applicable to all) that would provide them with a catalog of third spaces and events in their communities. It would also serve to inform people about third spaces and persuade them to go to more.
My research seemed to confirm the need for such a resource. A lot of people were unaware of the concept of third spaces and of what was available to them. They also mostly expressed a want for more third spaces. I also learned a lot of new things about people’s current habits regarding third spaces and why they may or may not attend certain ones. I learned a lot and got a lot of suggestions about what would be helpful for people in regard to such a resource.
Through my research, I also learned the important role that digital third spaces play in building community and want to add more to the website regarding them. I got a lot of suggestions for the ability to filter through different places and events to find what would apply best to them. Having a calendar that would lay out all the events was something I was already working on but was also suggested as well. I am considering adding the ability to comment or socialize on this website as well due to some suggestions. They also expressed the need for advertisements for this resource. I got confirmation that a website would be the best application for most as well.
My prototype is for individuals in their 20s who are leaving college (but it should be applicable to all). They need this resource so that it is easier for people to build community with those around them and be more social and active in their community if they wish to be. It connects them with resources and events around them that they otherwise would be ignorant about. My research shows that people benefit from going to third spaces but are often unaware of them. My prototype raises awareness for these third spaces and makes them more approachable for individuals.
