Even places that flourished because they were third spaces, like Starbucks, are dropping their seating to lower numbers to “get rid of the riff raff” or whatever.
The US is hilariously car-centric and when you’re not driving to go to work, there’s less of an urge to drive at any time; and, without walkability too, there’s even more loss in socializing.
It’s all a net loss.
I remember reading about the third place many years ago, but that idea requires a second place!
It was the place people gathered. Church, the bar, local park, etc.
I'm just remarking that the role of the second place -- the office -- has also been diminished
Obviously you don't literally need the "second place" to have the "third place" -- but my point was that in-person interaction has been reduced even further, compared to the 1990's
Probably in 1990, few people would have predicted that the second place would also go away, at least for some affluent part of the population
edit: as either needless pedantry, or an unfamiliarity with the Third [Sp/Pl]ace.