What is a Gathering Place?
A gathering place is a space for the entire community-what used to be called the commons. It usually occupies an important central location. It is designed to accommodate private and quiet enjoyment for individuals, small gatherings, and community celebrations. Its purpose is to serve all people, from toddlers to old-timers, and everyone in between. For these reasons gathering places must accommodate a spectrum of features: seating in quiet places for reading books or eating lunch, tables for card games or chess, a tot-lot with an adjacent shelter where parents can visit and supervise, as well as an amphitheatre for performances, weddings, and other forms of community events. Gathering places work best when surrounded by stores, coffee houses, restaurants, bus stops, banks, or schools. The more reasons people have to visit a gathering space, the more successful it becomes. The Need Our work responds to the steady decline of community life we have experienced over the last half century.
