“Third place”. The term originated in a 1989 book written by sociologist Ray Oldenberg. It refers to a place separate from Work or Home where humans can facilitate social interaction. The need for Third Places has grown and was extremely exacerbated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Like many other things, the pandemic accelerated increasing trends: loneliness and obesity.

According to the World Health Organization: “High-quality social connections are essential to our mental and physical health and our well-being.” The United States Surgeon General has labeled loneliness an ‘epidemic’. The British Medical Journal published a report in late 2021 that concluded “problematic levels of loneliness are experienced by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries.”

Also according to the WHO: worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 and as late as 2016, 1.9 billion adults were overweight, of which 650 million were obese.

The good news? Both of these trends are preventable and reversible. Third Places are helping to provide people with the outlet they need to improve their situation and find happiness. There is a Third Place emerging in cities across the world that solves both problems and a lot more: Community Gardens. It could be a rooftop in a densely populated city, or a common area just down the road. Community Gardens provide the benefits of “public relaxation” while also teaching the valuable skill of eating healthy. They also provide a source of STEM education for kids.

How could Microchip Technology help accelerate the growth of Third Places like Community Gardens?

Links from the episode:

Guests:

Ross Satchell

Toby Sinkinson