In his book “The Great Good Place”, Ray Oldenburg coined the term “the Third Place” to describe “anchors” of community life which promote varied and creative social interaction. He explains that the first place has always been considered to be the home and those with whom one lives; the second place is the workplace where many people spend most of their time. All societies already have informal meeting places (Third Places) such as coffee shops, bookstores and concert halls; what is new in modern times is that people intentionally seek them out to address current societal needs.

At LiveWorkLearnPlay, we have built upon Oldenburg’s theory to create the concept of the Fourth Place. The Fourth Place includes the home, the workplace, and the Third Place to create the ultimate mixed-use environment. The Fourth Place is the confluence of all the key elements in our daily lives and more, allowing us to live, work, learn, and play together in one location. Creating these Fourth Places in communities is everyone’s responsibility. Research shows that people are demanding these Fourth Places: now it is time to deliver what we are all looking for.

“We all have the ability to conceive of, and shape the environments that will determine the quality of people’s lives – we must never get complacent.” (Max Reim, Co-Managing Partner and Principal, LiveWorkLearnPlay)

We invite you to explore, enjoy, and contribute to the information at The Fourth Place. Our goal is to help make our places great Fourth Places in which to Live, Work, Learn, and Play.