The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community

“The Great Good Place” is a classic urbanist book about why we need “third places” outside of work and home, for mental health reasons and the good of communities. These places, once so common in American cities, were disappearing when this book was published in 1989. They’ve continued to dwindle in number since.

Ray Oldenburg was a sociology professor at the University of West Florida. He died in 2002.

The big ideas for Urban Atlanta:

1. People are social animals, and if there were “great good places” to congregate and make acquaintances, many would seek them out.
2. There are benefits to informal congregating, from better mental health to stronger communities.
3. As Oldenburg suggests, having a wide and diverse set of acquaintances is important for building understanding and tolerance. Knowing people who do not share your opinions makes democracy work better.
4. We’ve lost many of these small gathering places because postwar neighborhoods and suburban subdivisions resisted mixed uses and walkable streets. Home entertainment also convinced many people there was no need to leave home.
5. As we build better neighborhoods, we should look for ways of including third places in the mix. The aim should not simply be more retail, but nurturing businesses that build connections and community. This book offers ideas for recognizing these places.