In North America, there are laws in place that make it more difficult to connect.

Zoning and parking laws impact the amount of foot traffic in a town, which consequently affects the number and kinds of third places in a town. People often talk about how these laws impact things like home values or crime – but rarely do they touch on their social implications.

Joining me today is Nathan Allebach, a creative director, marketer, and lover of walkable communities. He has a wealth of knowledge on this topic, and of third places; at the end of this interview, I felt like I’d taken a college course on third places and walkable communities – even though I’d already read up on quite a lot of this.

Want to see more third places? Listening to this podcast is a step. Build awareness for yourself. Follow the organizations Nathan mentions. Talk to local businesses about it. Big changes start with awareness, followed by small changes.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• How so many people are having to choose between their financial goals and social wellness – and how third places can be a solution for that
• Our own “third places” growing up – Walmart, Target, the mall, a car – and what millennials have done to try to create their own third places
• Mixed-use zoning, which means shops existed where people lived, and the affect Post World War II America had on this
• Building regulations that impact third places: single family zoning, setback requirements, minimum lot size/square footage requirements; parking requirements
• The roles of race and class in third places, and the impact cars have had on them in history and today
• Guerilla activism, and small things you can do to make an impact: plant street trees; advocate for public art, new benches, zoning and parking reforms; pay attention

Resources & Links

Be sure to follow Nathan Allebach on Instagram and TikTok!

Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram! 

Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!