Palaces for the people
by Eric Klinenberg · first published 2018
5mentions
3recommended by
3HN commenters
2023–2026first – last mentioned
100% recommend
"An eminent sociologist--and coauthor, with Aziz Ansari, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Modern Romance--makes the provocative case that the future of democratic societies rests not only on shared values but also on shared "social infrastructure": the libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, coffee shops, pools, and parks that promote crucial, sometimes life-saving connections between people who might otherwise fail to find common cause"--
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Klinenberg's book "Palaces for the People" is very worth a (quick) read. Talks about the importance of physical, "social infrastructure" (similar to the idea of "third places") in cities that enable people to weave communities ties that then…
on “‘Mutual aid’ is a radical ideal. Some live its communal spirit” ↗…nearby, sometimes within upwards of an hour drive! There are a number of good books on how the built environment affects our social life, if you're interested. It's not specifically about suburbs but "Palaces for the People" by Eric Klinenberg is one of my favorites that covers a lot of this sort of thing.
on “Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2024)” ↗I highly recommend Klinenberg's Palaces for the People, which he named after Carnegie's phrase for libraries. Here's an interview he did on 99% Invisible: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-peopl...
on “Libraries and Well-Being: A Case Study from The New York Public Library” ↗We need weekly activity plans to introduce multi-racial, multi-age, multi-political people to each other in palaces for the people venues. Read the book 'Palaces for the People'... Invest Billions in social infrastructure... and run the country like it was a retirement community. Everyone is welcome, everyone has value and we…
on “Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?” ↗Carnegie called libraries "palaces for the people" and that investment in libraries across the country created Third Places for people that in some communities are the only ones left. (This is something Klinenberg explored in his book by the same name.)…
on “When the Culture Wars Come for the Public Library” ↗