Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

Third Places for Urban Sociability; Identifying Third Places for Urban Desegregation (Koy-e Golestan, Sabzevar)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyede Mahsa Mousavi Shilgani 1
Bahram Siavashpor 2
Ali Asghar Abroon 3
1 Ph.D. Candidate in Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
3 Ph.D. in Urbanism, Senior Lecturer, Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
10.22034/uep.2025.517937.1626
Abstract
Introduction 
While sociable spaces in deprived and less-developed urban areas play a significant role in strengthening social cohesion, enhancing the sense of safety and perceived security, receiving local support, social trust, and increasing participation, numerous advantages have been mentioned for third places as a type of urban public sociable spaces that people choose for interaction, ordinary life, and informal social gatherings. Third places, as spaces between home (first place) and workplace (second place), constitute a social territory for giving meaning to informal life, repairing formal and family life, and facilitating friendly social relationships. Third places connect individuals to social capital networks, support, resources, and information by creating economic opportunities, professional connections, and gaining support for their users. They serve not only as places to meet people’s consumer needs but also as spaces to fulfill their psychological and emotional needs, such as receiving solidarity and emotional support, commercial friendship, and loyalty, facilitating urban life for public and informal life of friends, neighbors, and strangers. Golestan District (Koy-e Golestan), as an ethnic settlement in the historical and commercial center of Sabzevar city, suffers from severe segregation. For several years, its residents have been seeking a way out of the economic and social deadlock caused by their socio-spatial segregation and profound integration into urban society. With an area of 7.6 hectares and a population of 765, this district faces numerous social, economic, physical, and functional problems. Social interactions and economic exchanges between district residents and other Sabzevar citizens are at their lowest level. On the one hand, the spatial-physical and functional unacceptability of the district, along with the lack of any social interactions accompanied by mental preconceptions and stereotypical views of the district and its residents by urban society, necessitates the creation and adaptation of existing and possible spaces that strengthen social interactions between district residents and urban culture.
Materials and Methods
This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical method. The conceptual framework of third place theory and behavioral setting theory was employed to identify the third places in Golestan District. The behavioral settings of third places were studied in two dimensions: place (behavioral setting), including spatial-physical and functional characteristics, and ongoing behaviors in space using the behavioral mapping method. Data collection was carried out in several stages. First, considering the isolation and segregation conditions of Golestan District, researchers, after providing explanations to local trustees and multiple visits to the district, tried to gain necessary trust and acceptance through friendly conversations while becoming familiar with the general conditions of the district. Then, to identify the aforementioned third places, the process was conducted based on the conceptual framework, research design, and spatial and social characteristics proposed for third places in the research literature through non-participatory observations. In the subsequent stage, the spatial-physical, functional, and social characteristics of the identified third places were examined based on the research design using observations, image recording, and behavioral mapping. For this purpose, after multiple visits to the district and identifying the main ongoing activities in the space, through daily observations, recorded images, and schematic note-taking with icon assignment to each ongoing activity in the space, as well as displaying the occurrence position of each activity on maps, studies were conducted over three days in two shifts (morning and evening) for half an hour on each third place. Additionally, to gain residents’ lived experiences, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals randomly selected from regular attendees at various locations within the district. It is worth mentioning that the behavioral mapping process involved identifying main activities in space, daily observations, recorded images, and schematic note-taking with icon assignment to each ongoing activity in space, and displaying the occurrence position of each activity on maps. Also, it should be noted that purchasing behaviors, given their infrequent occurrence, included any interactive behavior related to purchasing, such as greeting, product inquiries, bargaining, and payment (whether resulting in purchase or not). In contrast, non-interactive behaviors like looking at goods were not recorded due to their non-social nature.
Findings
Based on these research findings and by spatial-physical, functional, and social characteristics proposed for third places, five places meeting the conditions and matching third place characteristics were identified in the Golestan District. All these places are located in the upper half of Golestan District, close to the district’s commercial spaces or within the residential fabric of the district. No third place was identified in the lower half of the district, where fewer open and collective spaces exist. Regarding spatial position, these places are mainly located at points with spatial openness relative to their surrounding passages. Spaces adjacent to open areas, intersections of several passages, or setbacks along a passage have, due to spatial openness, enabled more people to be present in these places and provided the foundation for forming the district’s third places. The dominant activity in these places is conversation, standing or sitting facing the adjacent square or passage. Also, interview results show that Golestan District residents’ location selection for social interactions depends on physical and social factors. Interviewees specifically mentioned appropriate shade, desirable open space, steps for sitting, proximity to home, and desirable vegetation coverage. Analysis of these findings, in addition to matching these characteristics with criteria proposed for third place theory, shows that spaces used by district residents are neutral environments where people can easily be present, and conversation is the main activity. Furthermore, among the identified third places, two locations (numbers 1 and 2) are situated along Golestan passage, where commercial activities also take place in addition to usual social interactions among residents. Part of these economic interactions occurs between district residents and citizens who enter the district’s main commercial passage for shopping. In contrast, the other three third places (numbers 3, 4, and 5) located in the inner areas of the district and away from commercial and workshop spaces, only witness the presence of district residents in gatherings and joint activities such as sharing household chores, childcare, eating food, and smoking (hookah). This study reveals that appropriate open space and steps for sitting are important factors in forming third places in the district. On the other hand, in conditions of limited green space in the district and the semi-arid climate of Sabzevar city, shading and relatively desirable vegetation coverage of some third places were other important items reported in interviews by residents.
Conclusion
The findings of this research indicate that five third places can be identified in Golestan District that can play an important role in reducing segregation in this area. The identified commercial third places (numbers 1 and 2), with their sociability capacities and creation of social acceptance among both district residents and citizens, can provide an appropriate foundation for reducing segregation and integrating the neighborhood’s public space into the broader public arena of Sabzevar’s historical and commercial fabric. Proper preparation of these commercial third places in future programs can significantly improve sociability and reduce the district’s segregation problems. Additionally, addressing the other three third places is particularly important due to their effects on social capital, mental and social health, resilience, and empowerment of residents. In this regard, and based on contact theory, daily interpersonal contact between different groups potentially provides the foundation for reducing stereotypical views and prejudice, and creating positive attitudes toward other groups. Therefore, improving the accessibility, security, and safety of these spaces, along with the possibility of meeting various user needs, especially providing shelter, pause, and sitting spaces through simple and unpretentious yet suitable designs, can play an important role in providing the foundation for presence and commercial interactions of different social groups. This study suggests that enhancing the identified commercial third places could significantly improve sociability and reduce segregation issues in the district. The research indicates that these spaces, particularly those adjacent to the Koy-e Golestan main commercial corridor, have the potential to accommodate economic and social interactions between residents and host citizens, thereby contributing to the integration of the marginalized community into the broader urban society. Therefore, improving the spatial quality of identified third places using mentioned third place characteristics like enhancing environmental aesthetics, social inclusion, creating appropriate spaces for stopping and sitting, providing proper lighting, improving green space, and installing supportive equipment that enhances space attendance, beside the integration of local commercial and service spaces such as bakeries, butcher shops, barbershops, along with sports equipment, children’s playgrounds, and water fountains and shelters could significantly strengthen the role of these third places in the neighborhood’s social life.
Keywords
Behavioral Settings
Koy-e Golestan
Segregation
Sociability
Third place

Subjects

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Urban Economics and Planning
Volume 6, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 186-202

  • Receive Date 20 April 2025
  • Revise Date 16 May 2025
  • Accept Date 22 May 2025