Peace-Driven Infrastructure: Third Places Worth Building

In the broadway hit, Newsies, 17 year old Jack Kelly famously sings of his desire to escape from New York City and his urban troubles. The collapsing blue collar unions and the failure to boycott New York’s elite create Kelly’s ballad, Santa Fe, where he longs to escape to New Mexico to start a new life. He quotes, “I ain’t getting any younger. And I wanna start brand new. I need space. And fresh air … I got nothing if I ain’t got Santa Fe” [1]. Through these powerful lines and vocal vibrato, Kelly describes this desire to run to the safe haven of quiet nature, freedom, and a brand new place. He is drawn by the quiet of the west, the escape from stress and responsibility, or perhaps the excitement of exploration to the land unknown. Regardless, the thought of escaping to the wildlands and untouched New Mexico landscapes brings joy to the heart of young Jack Kelly. 

Longing for an escape into nature has been a common literary theme throughout history, especially in poetry. Poets often use pastoral poems, characterized by creative works that idealize rural life and landscapes, to articulate their desire to escape into nature and peaceful sanctuaries [2]. Pastoral poetry has consisted of a range of topics throughout time, from a 3 BCE poem expressing the hope of living a simple shepherd’s life in the Greek mountains to a European poem romanticizing rural life during the Industrial Revolution [3]. Christopher Marlowe, a famous English poet and writer in the late 1500s, wrote a pastoral poem named The Passionate Shepherd to His Love [4]. Through six stanzas, Marlowe encapsulates the beauty of the outdoors and how it best suits his romantic vision for himself and his lover. Marlowe comments on the droves of fragrant posies, the melodious birds, and the delight of the mornings with his lover [5]. Writers throughout history have passionately longed for these peaceful, rugged landscapes of beauty and freedom. Whether it be Marlowe running off to a land of beauty with his lover, or Kelly escaping to the wild west, the earth’s natural infrastructure possesses more than mere beauty—it offers a deep hope for peace.

But what exactly are people trying to escape to? Is it the sound of the river slowly hollowing out the outer banks in the rocks? Is it the desire to see the white silhouettes of clouds painting a blue canvas? Perhaps it is an echo of silence, leaving behind the chaotic rambunctiousness of life. These reasons seem sufficient to draw someone into nature. Whether calmly listening to the waves crashing against the white sand of Oregon seashores or hiking through the rugged mountains East of Santa Fe, the intimacy of nature is gravitating. It is in these places that I, like young Jack Kelly, feel at home. Here, amidst the infrastructure of earth, I feel peace. 

Many urban residents so deeply desire the idealism of nature’s infrastructure that groups have formed to ensure that all individuals in their communities can access a home in nature. Birkenhead Park, built in the nineteenth century, was one of the first public parks built to combat the urbanization of the city. Between 1821 and 1851, the population of Birkenhead, UK, drastically expanded from 200 to 24,000. In response, Birkenhead’s Health of Towns committee declared that preventative measures were required for reasons of “humanity and justice to the poor” to combat the rising problems from rapid urban expansion [6]. To meet the needs of the town, Parliament commissioned the city money to buy land to create a public park for residents to enjoy. Six years later, after careful supervision, maintenance, and design work from a head gardener, the park was revealed to a crowd of 10,000 passionate people at the Grand Entrance [7]. The growing community of Birkenhead successfully sought peace-driven infrastructure for residents and visitors to enjoy, inspiring others to do the same, resulting in public parks all around the world. 

Famously following the footsteps of Birkenhead Park is New York City’s Central Park. Following the cholera epidemic of 1832, the city’s polluted water had killed 3,500 residents, which was about 1.5% of the population at that time [8]. In response, the city constructed the Croton Aqueducts, the city’s first water supply system, providing clean drinking water for the city [9]. This fueled the local legislature to not only create a water system that saved the city, but also aim to heal New York residents in a much broader sense. Around 1853, state officials approved funds to purchase the land that would one day be Central Park, designating Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as park designers [10]. The city’s goal was to offer urban residents an experience of the countryside, a place to escape from the stressful urban culture, and a taste of earth’s natural infrastructure [11]. Olmsted believed that the park would provide all residents with an escape from the confined indoors and a place to bask in fresh air and sunlight [12]. To this day, locals and visitors still experience an escape into nature through the winding park paths, picturesque forests of 18,000 trees, and meandering streams into still lakes [13]. As the early 1864 guidebook of Central Park states, “it is almost impossible to do anything in the park but rest, breath sweet air, and enjoy” [14]. For New Yorkers, the park has become an integral part of their lives: a place of solidarity and a gentle pause from everyday routine. The park has turned the infrastructure of New York, beyond that of subways or skyscrapers, to become a dear part of home for all. 

Where do you go as your place of peace? For some of us, that place is obvious. For others, that might feel like an imagined idea—a place where we can truly rest, recover, and live as we were meant to feels far off and unattainable. Social scientists have long argued that we all inherently long for a place for rest. The term, “third place” originating from the 1989 book, The Great Good Place, is characterized as an alternative location that invites social interaction outside of a person’s home or work zone [15]. The point of these “third places” is to break the mundane between home and work, acting as a continual spot for direct or indirect interactions with the community. There are few requirements to what makes a location a “third place”, but they are commonly spots such as coffee shops, parks, and bookstores. The only true necessity is that it is a place that a person is never forced to go to, but they willingly go for peace and joy. However, these “third places”, built as structures of peace, take a large degree of intentionality, resources, and time to keep alive. 

In the 1960s, Central Park was beginning to break down. With no communal oversight, the meadows rotted away, the lights shattered, and playgrounds began to fall apart. To save the park in 1979, the Central Park Task Force and Central Park Conservancy partnered with the city to help restore the park back to its original purpose [16]. Ever since, over 1 billion dollars have been invested into restoring and maintaining all 843 acres of Central Park [17]. This beloved New York “third place” has not only become a refuge for the city, but a place where cultivation, care, and beautification are actively practiced. 

However, not all “third places” have the resources, protection, or financial capacity to match that of Central Park. Hometowns disappear into abandoned history. Logging companies tear down the local forests where kids once practiced sanctuary and imagination. Floods dislodge buildings, homes, and communities. A favorite coffee shop closes from market competition, greed, or owner exhaustion. Even public parks break down as the community and government fail to care for its needs. These “third places” may give us a community and escape from the stress of the world, but are they ever truly safe from destruction? More importantly, how can we experience peace when the infrastructure we have built is destined to eventually collapse? Our physical spaces of rest are seemingly just as unstable as our own ability to experience inner peace. 

In the Christian faith, one of the most prominent “third spaces” has been the church. Similar to other “third places,” churches are where people have come together to create a structure for peace and restoration. At one of the first churches recorded in the Bible, many land and home owners sold what they had to provide for one another, bringing their money to make sure there was no needy person among them [18]. To this day, church buildings provide a place of rest through community engagement projects, food drives, soup kitchens, and free relief resources during emergencies. The church building functions as a space to help all in need, even beyond Sunday morning. 

However, what does it look like for a Christian to help build that structure of peace to then watch it eventually crumble? Church buildings come and go like all other man-made structures. As difficult as this may be, these physical buildings were never the final “third place” for the church; they are not Christians’ ultimate place of peace. The beauty behind each church is the people. In referring to all Christians as the Church (the global group of all Christians, not just the structure of a church building), the Bible calls them the body of Christ. Paul the Apostle continues this metaphor, saying, “now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” [19]. He establishes Christ as the head of that body and therefore the head of the Church [20]. Each and every Christian is part of the body of Christ; they are a valued and equal member of the global Church, and this membership stretches wider than any membership in other affinities or groups. The Bible states that upon believing, Christians receive adoption – like membership, meaning that every member of the body of Christ is cared for by God like His own children [21]. With this security comes joy and peace. In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul wrote, “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body” [22]. There is peace in living under the care of Jesus, being honored as a specific member of the Church, and being loved as a child of God. 

The great joy of being part of the Church is not only to be loved by Jesus, but also to receive His peace and to go and spread that to others. The Bible describes how God loves the Church so much, that He died on the cross and sacrificed His life to save all people [23]. If God’s greatest love is His Church, then Christians are also called to love the Church. This does not merely mean loving the space that church provides, but also loving each and every person that creates the body of the Church. In many ways, building peace-filled infrastructure is not just focusing on a specific location, building, or space, but rather investing in each other as the dwelling place of the Church. Christians can lean on others since the Church is built through them, establishing a strong and unshakeable foundation. 

By understanding the strong foundation of God’s love for His Church, Christians can see the world as a gift from God. Christians believe that all things on Earth were made through God: the wildlands of nature, the roaming hills that parks lay on, the birds that sing in the morning, and the ocean breeze that vacationers seek to escape to in search for peace [24]. The world has been created with natural “third spaces,” beckoning humans to find peace amidst them. A famous poem in the Bible beautifully states, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul,” [25]. Not only do we find creation good, but so does God. After creating all of the world, God said, “and behold, it was very good” [26]. Creation is beautiful, and God has given all people dominion to be its caretaker and cherish the peace and beauty that comes with it [27]. Christians should not disregard these “third places” because each place is a gift from God worth cherishing. 

There is peace in the “third places” that we love and consistently return to. In the Christian perspective, as Christ has put His peace in the body of the Church, so can Christians go and spread that peace with others. By living as the body of the Church, Christians can create purposeful, peace-filled infrastructure that cares for the gift of creation and creates space for all to find rest.

References

1. Montan, Chris, Frank Filipetti, Michael Kosarin, Alan Menken, and Kurt Deutsch. “Newsies Original Broadway Cast (Ft. Jeremy Jordan) – Santa Fe.” Genius, May 15, 2012. https://genius.com/Newsies-original-broadway-cast-santa-fe-lyrics.
2. “Pastoral.” Poets.org, May 23, 2023. https://poets.org/glossary/pastoral. 
3. “Pastoral.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/pastoral. 
4. Marlowe, Christopher. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44675/the-passionate-shepherd-to-his-love. 
5. Marlowe, Christopher. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44675/the-passionate-shepherd-to-his-love. 
6. Birkenhead Park. “Birkenhead Park’s Conception and Opening.” Birkenhead Park, February 10, 2022. https://birkenhead-park.org.uk/birkenhead-parks-conception-and-opening/#:~:text=. 
7. Birkenhead Park. “Birkenhead Park’s Conception and Opening.” Birkenhead Park, February 10, 2022. https://birkenhead-park.org.uk/birkenhead-parks-conception-and-opening/#:~:text=. 
8. Warsh, Marie. “How Public Health Influenced the Creation, Purpose, and Design Of…” Central Park Conservancy, June 26, 2020. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/how-public-health-influenced-the-creation-purpose-and-design-of-central-park. 
9. Sain-Baird, Jessica. “Meeting New York City’s Demand for Water.” Central Park Conservancy, October 5, 2017. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/water-central-park. 
10. Sain-Baird, Jessica. “Meeting New York City’s Demand for Water.” Central Park Conservancy, October 5, 2017. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/water-central-park. 
11. “Park History.” Central Park Conservancy. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.centralparknyc.org/park-history#:~:text=New%20York%27s%20Central%20Park%20is,of%20the%20rapidly%20growing%20City. 
12. Warsh, Marie. “How Public Health Influenced the Creation, Purpose, and Design Of…” Central Park Conservancy, June 26, 2020. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/how-public-health-influenced-the-creation-purpose-and-design-of-central-park. 
13. “Park History.” Central Park Conservancy. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.centralparknyc.org/park-history#:~:text=New%20York%27s%20Central%20Park%20is,of%20the%20rapidly%20growing%20City.
14. Guild, W. H. 1864. The Central Park.  New York: Carleton. https://archive.org/details/centralpark00guil_0
15. Liddy, Kaetlyn. “Do You Have a ‘third Place?’ Here’s Why Finding One Is Key for Your Well-Being.” TODAY.com, August 2, 2023. https://www.today.com/life/inspiration/third-place-meaning-rcna94279.
16. Kang, Tricia. “160 Years of Central Park: A Brief History.” Central Park Conservancy, June 1, 2017. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/central-park-history.
17. Kang, Tricia. “160 Years of Central Park: A Brief History.” Central Park Conservancy, June 1, 2017. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/central-park-history. 
18. Acts 4:34-36, ESV
19. 1 Corinthians 13:27, ESV
20. Colossians 1:18, ESV
21. Galatians 4:5, ESV
22. Colossians 3:15, ESV
23. Romans 5:8, ESV
24. John 1:3, ESV
25. Psalm 23: 2-3, ESV
26. Genesis 1:31 ESV
27. Genesis 1:26 ESV