Kuala Lumpur Reads encourages social cohesion and advocates for the active use of green public spaces as a no-cost third place. — Photo: RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
Hanging out in Kuala Lumpur can be hard – especially during Ramadan. I do sometimes want to visit the bazaars to see what’s on offer, but they can be hot and crowded, and it’s not exactly fun trying to pick out kuih when people are constantly jostling your elbow.
Outside of Ramadan, it’s easier. You drop in, grab a few things, and then settle into a coffee shop or mamak restaurant, somewhere with relatively cheap drinks, relatively comfortable seats, and an opportunity to chat with friends. But these are difficult places to go to if you’re fasting.
These kinds of places, where you meet up with people and interact, are what American sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third places” in his book The Great Good Place (1989). They are spaces distinct from homes (the “first place”) and workplaces (the “second place”), where people can congregate, socialise, and build community.
They create the kind of vibrancy where you feel that things are happening, which then makes you want to linger, catch up with old friends, and meet new ones. In short, they are places that foster a sense of belonging.
The thing is, for many Malaysians (or at least, KL-ites) third places almost always revolve around food. Yes, a hallmark of a third place is the availability of relatively inexpensive food and drink, because food is such a central part of most Malaysians lives that even if we’re talking without food in front of us, we end up suggesting something nice to eat.
There are other alternatives. Mosques and churches do bring people together, but they aren’t exactly designed for casual socialising. Libraries and bookstores offer quiet refuge, but conversations need to be kept at a whisper. And while other cities have outdoor locations like parks, many would agree that Malaysia is too hot and too wet for that to be a viable alternative.
If third places are so crucial for a city’s social fabric, then city planners should just build them, right? But the reality is that they’re difficult to accurately plan and predict for. I’ve written before about how walkability is more than just safe pavements and road crossings (“Pedestrian problems”, The Star, Feb 16, 2014; online at bit.ly/star_walking). In the same way, good places for congregations are more than just a couple of benches.
The reality is that third spaces need to grow organically on their own. You can plan for them, you can build them, but whether people will come has a lot to do with how comfortable they feel using it.
Take for example the Kuala Lumpur Reads event held every Saturday morning at Perdana Botanical Gardens. It’s free for anyone to join, and while the reading itself is silent, people usually stay around to chat after it. Organiser Victoria Navina has said that the concept of the meet up is more than just about books. “We were encouraging social cohesion and advocating for the active use of green public spaces as a no-cost third place.”
Perhaps most importantly, it has become a community-driven event, shifting the perception that KL parks are hot and humid to how they can be tranquil and welcoming.
In fact, given how beautiful a lot of outdoor KL can be, it’s a shame that we don’t try to leverage on it beyond building an airconditioned skyscraper with a large window and a good view. While we might think that Malay-sia is too hot and humid for anyone to do anything outside of a shopping mall, the reality is that we can plan and build for tropical climes.
For example, professor Elias Salleh (formerly of Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the International Islamic University Malaysia) has published much about architecture for tropical climes, including the phenomenon of “urban street canyons”, the gaps between tall buildings that create microclimates affecting temperature, light, and airflow.
Other researchers too have identified that semi-outdoor common areas in tropical countries, even in high rise buildings, can provide space for social gatherings and relaxation.
And if the space is inviting enough, people will come, whatever the weather. A study by the International Islamic University Malaysia on social interaction opportunities in KL’s Petaling Street noted that while the weather affects how long people linger, it’s not the only factor. Improving walkability and comfort encourages people to stay longer.
So what if we experimented with creating temporary third places during Ramadan?
Imagine a “pop-up” third space set up near Ramadan bazaars, not for eating but for hanging out. Instead of visitors just grabbing their roti boom and rushing home, they could sit, chat, and soak in the atmosphere.
Of course, one challenge might be to encourage organisers to create space for socialising when it could be used instead by money- generating food stalls. However, a welcoming and conducive place might attract more visitors, and thus encourage more spending. You meet up with someone, you chit chat with them, and then they recommend some great apam balik or murtabak stall nearby.
After all, isn’t that what friends (and third places) are for?
