Jul 21, 2009 | 0 comments

Contest!

Today's guest blogger is Anna Harris, who heads up our online marketing effort.

Anyone who has been keeping up with MCA over the last year will know that the idea of the so-called 'Third Place' has really captured our imagination as of late.  As a concept, it's extremely juicy - a gathering space towards which people naturally gravitate, a place other than work and home which has in its power the ability to affect civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and that ever-elusive sense of place.

At MCA, much of our work involves creating these Third Places, spaces where people can relax, explore, and interact on every conceivable level.  The great thing about designing community-centric places like this is that every individual has a different idea of the kind of place they'd like to hang out when they're not at home or working. The idea of the perfect Third Place varies enormously by region, culture, age, social status, and a sizeable list of other conditions.  Every time our design team goes into a new project, they take time to get to know the people they're designing for - young professionals, 50+ adventurers, rock n' rollers, yogis - you name it, we've designed a space for it.

All of this work has got us thinking; we figure out the preferences of different demographics every day. We know what works and what doesn't. The one thing we're missing is WHY, in the words of consumers, certain spaces are beloved while others fail miserably. So we decided to ask.

For the next month, our Facebook page is featuring a contest for fans to tell us about their favorite Third Places of all kinds.  Contest entrants are invited to send in an essay of between 200 and 500 words describing the place they most like to be when they're not at home or work, whether that's a bar, coffee shop, yoga studio, community rec center, wherever it is that really 'speaks' to them.  Photography is encouraged but not required, and two lucky winners will receive a copy of Ray Oldenburg's fabulous book "The Great Good Place".  The top winner will have his or her essay featured right here on the MCA blog.

To find out more about the contest and to enter, visit the discussion board on the Mary Cook & Associates Facebook page.