Culture in the Commons: Third Places in Bellingham, WA, and their effects on sustainable behavior

This paper attempts to show the connection between third places and sustainable behavior, both active and passive. I attempt to delve into the facets of sustainable behavior and identify the elements of community third places that contribute to them. This paper discusses the results of an online survey of Bellingham residents, self-evaluating their own sustainable behavior and whether they have a third place. I also used these results to create a StoryMap of current third places in Bellingham, with the intention of connecting people to third places and perhaps indirectly influencing positive environmental behavior. [This page links to a StoryMap entitled Bellingham’s Third Places in conjunction with this project detailing third places in downtown Bellingham, WA. The paper is included as a supplementary file.]