Third Place in First Place

Recently, my family and I went to the Irvine Spectrum and really enjoyed it. I tried to take it all in and analyze what made the experience so rich from a planning and architectural standpoint. But I will freely admit, when my toddler screams exuberantly with the surprising spray of the timed misters while dancing about with a dozen other children, all analysis fades. It was more like banal-ysis and all I could do was laugh.

Thankfully, research has already been poured into this topic, the idea of Lingering Space or Lingering Retail. This sort of space already exists in several East Coast and European cities, but it is presently making a statement here in Orange County. The concept is simple: create an outdoor space to linger and relax, and frame it with venues for food, beverage, and entertainment. From there, the program varies—including open lawn, shaded seating, water features, play structures, splash pads, and the infamous misters. These spaces are free, sociable, public, outside, and exude a vibrant atmosphere. Because they are situated in the public forum, they are magnetic gathering places without the pressure to purchase anything. Yet people inevitably grow hungry, thirsty, and interested in small items; retail thrives with the popularity of the destination.

The origin of this concept can be traced to our need for a “third place”, a term coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg. The “third place” is a social gathering space separate from the first two places of home and work, e.g. restaurants, cafes, churches, or parks, and enhances our livelihood. The internet has changed this landscape in dramatic ways. For many, the third place was a mall or shopping center, but the inability to compete with two-day delivery, or even today delivery, has led to the closure of many stores. Lingering retail is a response to the changing needs of retail and a counter to what the internet cannot provide: atmosphere, presence, and tactility. WHA Senior Planner Todd Larner describes it as “the town square, but on a micro level” and it is often planned with a ratio as high as “50% retail and 50% open space”.

The Spectrum’s atmosphere provided an energetic and entertaining space to be and created a memorable experience. Yet these spaces are not only geared toward young families like mine. Teenagers looking for autonomy and parents looking for security find a middle ground. Adults not looking specifically to buy something can gather and meander in a visually stimulating setting. Locally, these Lingering Retail spaces are also found at Fashion Island, Pacific City, and The Marketplace. Notably, the Woodbridge Village Center demolished an entire building and replaced it with the open area—the third place—except here it is more like the third space. Now I am not trying to coin a new term, but I do want to emphasize the concept’s openness, and invite all to enjoy these spaces, linger a little longer, wander, and get caught up in the contagious laughter of children playing in the mist.

Woodbridge Village Center Google maps before and after demolishing an entire building and replacing it with the open area: