Much like on the TV show “Cheers,” sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.
The sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” to describe a gathering spot outside of home (“first place”) and work (“second place”). Coffee shops are prime examples of a third place. The same applies to churches, taverns, arcades, pool halls, casinos, senior centers and barbershops.
A true “third place” requires social interaction that goes beyond camping in the corner with free wireless access. If third places bring social well-being and happiness to citizens, then Federal Way can enhance its own well-being by creating opportunities for third places to thrive.
When examining quality of life, the usual list comes to mind: jobs, schools, police.
Another way to improve Federal Way is to help people enjoy living here. It is not enough to build schools, hire police and lure businesses — although these are cornerstones of any solid community. Jobs, schools and police enhance our personal pursuit of happiness, but they cannot carve a path toward that happiness.
The glue that binds a community is the people, especially the people who enjoy where they live. It’s a contagious attitude that spreads through positive human contact. Meaningful relationships play a role in everyone’s happiness equation. To reference a nursery rhyme that knows no age limit: The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.
A recent nationwide Gallup poll explores the attachment of residents to their cities, and how that contributes to economic growth. The poll suggests that residents invest more time, money and energy in communities with quality of life amenities such as clean playgrounds, lots of gathering spots or even higher education facilities. Economic development and tax breaks for businesses, while vital for growth, are only part of the puzzle for stimulating a community. Successful communities give residents not just what they need, but also what they want.
The city is not responsible for the social and psychological well-being of its people, but consider the rewards of investing in this agenda. The more Federal Way’s leaders and volunteers invest in quality of life, the more positive the attachment residents will form with their city. The stronger the attachment between residents and their city, the stronger Federal Way will become. There is no surefire solution to building happiness, let alone measuring it. In the pursuit to increase public happiness, the city’s best bet is to simply move in that direction, for the alternative is to not move at all.
