Statement

This project looks at Third Place access in America, with a focus on families with children. This is a data journalism project in the format of an interactive article. By using data from OpenStreetMaps and the US Census Bureau, I developed a Third Place Index dataset to compare access to third places on the census tract level.

This article analyzes the data I compiled to show that the more children there are in a census tract, the less third place access there is in that tract. This points to a feeling that children are being removed from public life, along with their parents.

I close the project with an exploratory map application to allow the user to look up their address and find the Third Place Index score for their local community. By combining a personal history with the key findings from my data and an engaging exploratory tool, my hope is that this will get people to think about the importance of third places in their lives. On a broader scale I also hope this will get people to question why children are less welcome in public life, and what can be done about this.