Third places

Third places are characterized by their ability to pool spaces and skills, while creating connections and innovation. In the 1980s, American sociologist Ray Oldenburg first defined the term "third place" as an informal space outside the home (first place) and the workplace (second place) that encourages spontaneous gatherings. Taking the form of collaborative workspaces, fablabs, rehabilitated urban wastelands, or mixed-use spaces combining offices and emergency accommodation, these places for "doing things together" are catalysts for innovation, thanks in particular to their common areas, which are conducive to encounters and collaboration. Initially found in large cities, these hybrid spaces are now spreading to rural areas, small and medium-sized towns, and suburban neighborhoods. With no standard model, they are shaped according to the needs of citizens, businesses, and local characteristics. Open to all, they are a space for experimentation for a new vision of creating innovation and value in local areas. For example, solidarity-based third places are defined by a clear social objective, promoting citizen participation, the social and solidarity economy, and democratic transitions, while offering discovery and training services and supporting local community projects.

The Plateau Urbain cooperative offers to assist property owners in creating third places in their vacant buildings. These places are distinguished by their temporary nature. They are set up in premises that are temporarily empty, often earmarked for future redevelopment, and are therefore occupied on a temporary basis, for a period ranging from a few months to several years. Temporary occupation is a concept similar to that of transitional urban planning , which operates on a larger scale, such as a neighborhood. The aim is to invest in the city's temporal interstices in order to breathe new life into unused spaces, while helping to revitalize a building, a street, a neighborhood, and the surrounding area. Thus, the third places set up and managed by Plateau Urbain position themselves as agile incubators, temporarily inserting collective dynamics into previously neglected spaces, while stimulating social and economic innovation within the local community in a more profound way.