{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83517"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83517","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Socioeconomic Diversity in Public Spaces","abstract":"While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places.","abstract_html":"While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Johnson, Bryce Wade"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Urban and Regional Planning","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Urban and Regional Planning","degree_department":"Urban Affairs and Planning","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Skuzinski, Thomas Stefan"],"committee_members":["Dunay, Donna W.","Schenk, Todd"],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-06-11","date_published":"2018-06-11","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:23Z","subjects":["Third Place","Public Parks","Urban Design","Social Interaction","Urban Planning"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:15863"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:15863","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/83517","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Skuzinski, Thomas Stefan"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Dunay, Donna W.","Schenk, Todd"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Urban Affairs and Planning"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Johnson, Bryce Wade"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2018-06-12T08:01:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-06-12T08:01:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2018-06-11"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Urban and Regional Planning"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Urban and Regional Planning"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Third Place","Public Parks","Urban Design","Social Interaction","Urban Planning"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:15863"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/83517"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["This original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. Such sites serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit. These visits are like the regular visitation of the home and workplaces, which are likewise called the first and second places. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others like themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a feature which stimulates conversation among visitors. The feature can establish commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. However, these social interactions rely on a third place which provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space’s design, location, and governance. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Urban and Regional Planning"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Socioeconomic Diversity in Public Spaces"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Skuzinski, Thomas Stefan"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Dunay, Donna W.","Schenk, Todd"],"dc:contributor.department":["Urban Affairs and Planning"],"dc:creator":["Johnson, Bryce Wade"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2018-06-12T08:01:06Z"],"dc:date.available":["2018-06-12T08:01:06Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2018-06-11"],"dc:description.abstract":["While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["This original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. Such sites serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit. These visits are like the regular visitation of the home and workplaces, which are likewise called the first and second places. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others like themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a feature which stimulates conversation among visitors. The feature can establish commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. However, these social interactions rely on a third place which provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space’s design, location, and governance. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Urban and Regional Planning"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:15863"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/83517"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Third Place","Public Parks","Urban Design","Social Interaction","Urban Planning"],"dc:title":["Socioeconomic Diversity in Public Spaces"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Urban and Regional Planning"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Urban and Regional Planning"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:23Z"}