This week’s Regional Roundup takes a closer look at “Third Spaces.” These are places in our communities that aren’t home, work, or school, but still play a vital role in helping people connect. These are the spaces where we gather around shared interests, build relationships, and strengthen community ties.
We start in Utah, where researchers are studying why Third Spaces matter and how they can support community well-being. From there, we highlight two literary-inspired gathering spots: a thriving Book Swap in Longmont and a new nonprofit in Colorado’s North Fork Valley that’s creating space for book lovers to come together. We also visit two libraries offering unique forms of Third Spaces, one with a makerspace, another with a music library.
And we close the show in the tiny town of Bedrock, Colorado, where new owners of the historic general store are working to transform it into a vibrant community hub.
This episode includes:
An interview with Allesandro Rigolon, an Associate Professor in the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah, and Danielle Littman, Assistant Professor at the University of Utah's College of Social Work, about Third Spaces and Third Places. (KRCL)
A feature on a book swap in Longmont, Colorado. (RMCR)
An interview on the Paonia Literary Project. (KVNF)
A feature on the U Fix It clinic at the Maker Space at the Boulder Public Library. (KGNU)
A feature on the music library in Westcliffe, Colorado. (KLZR)
A feature on the historic general store in Bedrock, Colorado, and the vision to turn it into a community hub. (KOTO)
