Karen Christensen
Revisiting Third Places - Episode 1
The Great Good Place - Havens and Hangouts at the Heart of Community releases December 2025.
Karen’s Links
https://www.berkshirepublishing.com/title/great-good-place-kc-ro/
Some of my third places
As we kick off the sidewalk ballet - a project dedicated to understanding cities and strengthening community - There is really no better place to start than at the neighborhood cafe, or the corner pub.
Karen Christensen is an author, publisher, and community leader whose work spans culture, sustainability, and the power of networks. As the founder of Berkshire Publishing Group, she has long championed ideas and institutions that strengthen communities. Her forthcoming book, written in collaboration with Ray Oldenburg, revisits and reimagines the concept of the “third place” for today’s world.
On The Sidewalk Ballet, Karen shares her perspective on why third places matter now more than ever. Our conversation explored themes of loneliness and isolation, the distinction between third places and public spaces, and the importance of creating space for conversation, plus her work on the encyclopedia of community.
This episode will open the series with both depth and urgency, offering fresh insight from one of the voices carrying the legacy of The Great Good Place into a new century.
Listen to full episode :
Also in this Episode, join Chip on his quest to find community in a new city.