third

places

is a term coined by Ray Oldenburg in his book The Great Good Place. Oldenburg called our homes our "first place" and our workplace our "second place". Third places, he says, are "anchors" of community life and are characterized by the offering of inexpensive food and drinks, being highly accessible, having regulars and being places where you meet old friends and new ones. Third places have been around for ages, says Oldenburg, but they've become more relevant in modern society as we crave a sense of place more than ever in our harried and hurried lives.

Last night, Andrew Knochel, Jim McPherson and Bob Diehl presented a TEDxScottsdale with the theme of third places. The event took place at the Levine Machine, Michael Levine's excellent renovation of a historic warehouse into office space and a community gathering spot.

The well-chosen speakers were Marianne Belardi of Cowboy Ciao, Craig DeMarco of Le Grande Orange, Postino's Chelsea's Kitchen and Windsor, Jeff Fischer of Lux Coffebar and Margaret Bruning, formerly the Assistant Public Art Director in Scottsdale.

With our lack or traditions, our independent mindset and our tendency to want to get away from it all, we sorely lack a sense of community and a sense of place here in Phoenix. We crave community, but on our own terms. And the speakers at last night's event have been able to create places in the Valley that allow people to have as little or as much community as they like.

Marianne Belardi emphasized that at Cowboy Ciao they make an effort to customize service to each individual customer. Craig DeMarco said he tries to recreate the everyday connections he saw at the gathering places in Italy. Jeff Fischer talked about nostalgia, trying to tap into the things that have been important to people when they were growing up. And Margaret Bruning talked about a different kind of third place - the city itself, and in particular, the way we relate to public art.

Each of the speakers last night have contributed to what makes the Valley special, what makes it resonate with people on the most visceral and personal level. They've taken the risk to get to know their customers, to commit to them, and to create a different kind of family through their establishments. And for that I thank each one of them dearly. And I thank the organizers of last night's TEDxScottsdale for bringing their stories to us.

THIS WEEK @ BLOOMING ROCK BLOG

Bicycles and Chickens: Tour de Coops 2011

This Saturday was the third annual Tour de Coops, an event put on by the Valley Permaculture Alliance showcasing cool chicken coops throughout Phoenix. In years past, people visited the coops with their cars. But this year, urban farmer and architect Bryan White, one of the main organizers of the event, had the insight to cluster the coops within Central Phoenix and added a bicycle component to the tour.

Downtown Phoenix's Best Block

Post by contributing writer Will Novak:

Inspired by the 26 Blocks project, I thought today I’d write a review of the best urban block in Phoenix: the block bounded by Central Ave, 1st Ave, Monroe and Van Buren. For the purposes of this article I’m going to refer to the block as “the Schoolhouse Block” because it was home to the first schoolhouse in Phoenix, an adobe structure built in 1874. The schoolhouse block is not only beautiful, but it has a mixture of uses that would make Jane Jacobs’ heart swoon. If we ever want to have a truly great downtown, we must find a way to replicate the Schoolhouse Block across the square mile that makes up Dowtown Phoenix.

MY POST @ FIREFLY LIVING BLOG

The Chase Tower Plaza: The Un-Public Space

I hadn’t had the pleasure of visiting the Chase Tower, the tallest building in Phoenix, built in 1972, until about two years ago for a Phoenix Chamber of Commerce meeting. I remember noticing even then how strange and empty it’s sunken plaza seemed.

Recently there was an article in the New York Times called Treasuring Urban Oases about how over time, we have fewer and fewer successful public spaces. Public spaces are really hard to come by here in Phoenix. The Chase Tower plaza, which I like to call the Chase (Away) Plaza, might have been a great opportunity for a vibrant public space, but it’s an epic fail instead.

Thanks to Our Local Sponsors!

Blooming Rock Events:

The Funk Series: The Car-Free Movement

12 / 16 / 2011 5:00pm at Funk Lab - 1007 Grand Avenue

What the funk is the Funk Series? It's a monthly creative happening organized by Edge Industries (Kirby Hoyt & Rob Izer) in collaboration with Blooming Rock and will take place at The Funk Lab on Grand Avenue.

Our second event is Third Friday, December 16 featuring a presentation by me, Nicole Underwood and Eddie Jensen about the recently hatched car-free movement in Phoenix. Click here to RSVP!

The Sustainable Communities Lecture Series

2 / 22 / 2011 5:00pm at Funk Lab - 1007 Grand Avenue

Women Design Arizona and Blooming Rock are proud to present the Sustainable Communities Lecture Series about sustainable urbanism in Phoenix. We paired our event with the Phoenix Public Market's "Food Truck Wednesdays".

Save the date, our next event will take place on February 22, 2012 and is going to be a panel discussion on Latino Urban Form.

Other Upcoming Community Events:

Holiday Extravaganza

12 / 8 / 2011 6:00pm-9:00pm at Phoenix Metro Retro - 708 W. Hazelwood

Featuring Marshall Shore: Retro Spectacular, "Kitschmasland!" author Travis Smith and other surprises! More info...

PURL Film Series - The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

12 / 8 / 2011 6:30pm-8:30pm at PURL - 234 N. Central Avenue 8th Floor

GUEST SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE:
-Michael J. Underhill, Executive Dean, Professor of Architecture, ASU, -Zona Pacheco, LCSW, Casework Services Supervisor, City of Phoenix, Jason Griffiths, Professor of Architecture, ASU More info...

OpenHaus@the IceHouse

12 / 8 / 2011 7:30pm-11:00pm at The Ice House - 429 W. Jackson St.

An evening of socialization and dialog for IceHouse enthusiasts in the minimal elegance of the White Column room. We'll supply the chill music and visual coolness, you supply what you want in food and drink. We request your company for this OpenHaus. Calling all artists, designers, musicians, architects, lecturers, professors, and concerned citizens who want to get involved in the next phase of development at the landmark IceHouse. More info...

SHOP & SHARE 2011 - Fourth Annual

12 / 9 / 2011 12:00am-11:30pm at Roosevelt Row Arts District

On Friday, December 9th, select businesses in Downtown Phoenix will donate 10% of their day's sales to Valley of the Sunflowers, a project that beautifies and activates a vacant urban space in downtown Phoenix while creating a transformative educational experience to take high school students from seed to engine in the creation of biofuel. Valley of the Sunflowers has received a grant from Intel to fund the first planting. Donations from Shop and Share 2011 will support the purchase of a seed press to extract the oil from the sunflower heads and will help raise funds for the second planting season. Valley of the Sunflowers is part of the Roosevelt Row program, A.R.T.S. (Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space). Support your community while shopping this holiday season and join us for the fourth annual Shop and Share downtown! More info...

Bike Odyssey: Projects from Around the World

12 / 9 / 2011 12:00pm-3:00pm at PURL - 234 N. Central Avenue - 8th Floor

GALLERY OF BIKE AWESOMENESS
----------------------------
Please join us for a survey of bicycle projects from around the world, from planning and infrastructure to overnight interventions. Changing the world into a more bicycle-friendly place for riders happens at all scales. More info...

Mnemosyne

12 / 9 / 2011 6:30pm-10:00am at the IceHouse - 429 W. Jackson St.

Mnemosyne: An invocation of the Nine Muses. Sculpture, Video, Installations, Performances. A Cross-Disciplinary Show from Students at Arizona State University. More Info...

Project Fields to Freedom

12 / 10 / 2011 12:00pm-2:00pm at Parque Libertad - NW corner of 9th St. & Roosevelt

Join us this Saturday for the launching of the Fields to Freedom Project. The Fields to Freedom Project brings together neighbors, youth, community activists, artists, and residents to transform empty spaces in the downtown area.

We will unveil Parque Libertad's first mural and will begin planting our urban sonoran desert botanical pop-up garden. Their will be music, bikes, poetry and much more.

Come ready to garden and meet your neighbors. More info...

PHX Bike to Brunch

12 / 10 / 2011 12:00pm-3:00pm at Civic Space Park

Dearest Fellow (Casual, Avid, All) Bicycle-riding Friends, Please join us for a rolling, chatting, hanging out ride downtown,
An opportunity to talk about your favorite bicycle projects,
A meal with many of your favorite Phoenix bike enthusiasts,
At a restaurant the offers diners on bicycles a 10% discount on brunch! More info...

TEDxScottsdale Rethinking the Grid, Urban Resilience Series

12 / 10 / 2011 3:30pm-7:00pm at SMOCA Lounge - 7374 E. 2nd St. Scottsdale

From a best-selling author who left her home behind in order to write her own narrative; to the co-founder of IZZE Beverage company who worked with farmers and nonprofits to change the way we do business; to a blogger who is obsessed with learning everything she can before the internet crashes; to the director of a contemporary art museum who has created a space in the museum where you can drink, play, and touch the art; to the co-founder of an eco-tourism company who insists on having fun while changing the world; to an internationally acclaimed artist who acknowledges those who came before her and offers a lifeline to those moving ahead; to a poet who singlehandedly solved the housing crisis; this evening of talks will energize you, generate communication, and, hopefully, offer some new frameworks for social and economic resilience! Buy Tickets.

Rusty Spoke Art Auction!

12 / 10 / 2011 6:00pm-9:00pm at Rusty Spoke Community Bicycle Collective

Rusty Spoke Community Bicycle Collective is having their first art auction! There will be art from many different mediums, such as paintings and jewelry. Live music by Daryl Scherrer, Make My Baby, Monophonic Hillside, and more! More info...

2011 Phoestivus Market

12 / 14 / 2011 4:00pm-8:30pm at Downtown Phoenix Public Market - 14 E. Pierce St.

All Local Vendors! Locally Grown or Produced Food, Drinks & Unique Gifts.

And for your amusement come witness:
The Phoestivus Pole
The Feats of Strength
Airing of Grievances
Music
& so much more!

Come be part of the New Tradition! More info...

Contact Me

Taz Loomans

architect | writer | community developer

tazmine@bloomingrock.com

480.326.9662

www.bloomingrock.com