
Thirdspace: how spaces are experienced and remade
Thirdspace tells us that space is not just something we live in; it's something that lives in us. Shaped by emotion, identity, power, and resistance, it urges us to see how places such as street corners or protest sites are far more than physical locations. They are lived, remembered, and reimagined.
This concept was introduced by Edward Soja in his book Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and Other Real-and-Imagined Places (1996), which builds on the influential work of French philosopher Henri Lefebvre in The Production of Space (1974). Soja expands Lefebvre's idea of spatial triad into what he calls the trialectics of spatiality — a way of seeing space through three interrelated dimensions: Firstspace, Secondspace, and Thirdspace.
Trialectics of spatiality
A city can be measured by its buildings or population density. That's one kind of spatial understanding. But if you think about who planned the city, where certain communities live, and how zoning laws shape who belongs where, you're entering another kind of understanding. Finally, if you ask people how they live, remember, or resist in those places, you will have, yet again, a different understanding of space.
Firstspace (the perceived physical space) refers to the material space we can touch, measure, and map. It includes roads, buildings, parks, rivers, and railway tracks; everything you can record with data. While it seems neutral or objective, it is anything but. The physical placement of slums at city margins or the clustering of communities by religion or caste reflects histories of power and inequality. Firstspace is the focus of statistics, maps, and urban planning. And while it tells us what is there, it doesn't always explain why or for whom it was built.
Secondspace (the conceived ideological space) is how space is imagined and controlled by those with power, including urban planners, governments, and developers. This space is created in blueprints, master plans, zoning laws, and design philosophies. It reflects ideological visions about what space should be. For example, a city plan may declare a neighbourhood as a 'commercial zone' or mark certain areas as 'unsafe.' These decisions are not just technical, they reflect values, biases, and priorities. Colonial maps, gentrification projects, and housing segregation are all examples of Secondspace at work.
Thirdspace (the lived and experienced space) is where people actually live, remember, resist, and build meaning. It blends the physical (Firstspace) and the imagined (Secondspace) and goes beyond them. It's not something you can fully map or plan. Think of a government-assigned refugee colony, perhaps originally called First Main Street, where Afghan migrants live. It was not designed to be anything more than a housing zone. But over time, it transforms into a cultural hub — for instance, a street market during Eid, a place of music, food, and memory. The community itself brings meaning to the place and transforms it. That transformation, that layering of emotion, identity, and politics, is Thirdspace.
Space and identity
Thirdspace resists easy definition because it's always changing. It's where everyday lives play out in all its contradictions. It is also where marginalised communities, women, and migrants, assert their presence and resist dominant narratives.
Thirdspace gains even more significance when we add the lens of identity, particularly race, class, and gender. Feminist thinkers like Bell Hooks, Doreen Massey, and others have shown us how space is gendered and politicised. Who is allowed in public parks after dark? Why are urban layouts often built around male mobility and safety?
Bell Hooks speaks of the margin not as a place of exclusion, but as a space of resistance and imagination. Feminist perspectives stress intersectionality, urging us to see how gender, race, and class interact within lived experience. Through this lens, Thirdspace becomes a powerful way to understand not just how space is used, but who is erased or included in that usage.
Space in the urban
Although Soja focused primarily on urban contexts, Thirdspace is not exclusive to cities. It can be found wherever people live, resist, and negotiate meaning. A village square, for instance, may serve as a physical space for gatherings (Firstspace), a symbolic centre of tradition and hierarchy (Secondspace), and a site where local customs, gender roles, generational conflicts, and collective memory intersect (Thirdspace). Here, people meet not just to conduct rituals, but also to contest them, reinterpret them, and forge new relationships.
However, Soja emphasises urban contexts because cities are not only where tensions between the three spatialities become the most visible, it is also where they are most resisted. Urban spaces are sites of intense planning, regulation, surveillance, and segregation, making them ideal grounds to study how the 'experience' of space often diverges from its physical form. Cities are also where diverse populations collide, informal economies thrive, and where protest and public culture becomes visible. These layered realities are precisely what Thirdspace seeks to capture.
Think of Greenwich Village in New York. On one level, the village has an 18th-century street pattern and is designated as a historical district, which imposes strict regulations on renovation and physical alterations (Firstspace). It is also home to two major colleges, and urban planners and architects could have long imagined it as a historical and educational hub (Secondspace). Finally, with the presence of the Stonewall Inn, widely recognised as the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, the area carries deep emotional, symbolic, and cultural significance. It is associated with hipster culture, Pride, and histories of resistance. (Thirdspace).
Urban theory often leans too heavily on what can be mapped. What Thirdspace brings in is experience. It asks urban planners to understand how space is felt, not just designed. It values murals, street protests, informal markets, things that don't show up in satellite images but define the urban experience.
Resisting non-places
To understand Thirdspace better, it helps to compare it with Marc Augé's idea of 'non-places.' Non-places are the product of supermodernity — airports, malls, highways, and hotel rooms. These are spaces designed for functionality and transience. You pass through them, but they do not become part of your identity. There is no memory or belonging. They feel sterile, interchangeable, and emotionally vacant. In an airport lounge, no one asks your name. In a hotel lobby, the furniture looks identical regardless of the hotel being in Kochi or New York. These spaces are designed for movement, not memory; they value efficiency over attachment.
Soja's Thirdspace is in many ways a resistance to this flattening. It insists that even in the most alienating environments, people bring meaning. A shopping mall may be a non-place, but when local youth gather there to hang out, share music, or protest against a brand store that funds genocide, it becomes a Thirdspace. Their presence adds friction to the flow, subverts the design, and fills the space with memory, identity, and sometimes, dissent. Thus, Thirdspace not only becomes a critique of non-places but also presents itself as their potential antidote.
Thirdspace remains relevant wherever space is lived, contested, and reimagined, as it allows us to see beyond binaries. In a time of migration, digitisation, and polarisation, it offers a lens to see how we build belonging, memory, and resistance, perhaps in the most unexpected of places. It reminds us that space is never neutral. It is made and remade, and that while it may be planned by the powerful, it is lived and reshaped by the people who live, remember and resist within it. And in that living, there lies the possibility of transformation.
Rebecca Rose Varghese is a freelance journalist.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Best Croissants in New York City - Full list of bakery, restaurant address
Best croissants are a masterful blend of crisp, golden layers and soft, buttery interiors that melt in your mouth. Crafted with precision and patience, these pastries boast hundreds of delicate layers created through the traditional lamination process of folding butter into dough. A perfect croissant has a deeply caramelized exterior with a slight crackle upon the first bite, revealing an airy honeycomb structure inside. Whether plain or filled with almond paste, chocolate, or ham and cheese, the finest croissants balance richness and lightness, making them an irresistible staple of French patisserie enjoyed around the world. ALF Bakery by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em Santo André (consulte o preço) Alarmes Undo Chelsea Live Events Baker Amadou Ly is known for using laminated dough in unexpected ways, like wrapping it around baguettes to merge two breads into one flaky innovation. Don't miss out on his chocolate almond croissant, possibly the best take on a double-baked croissant in the city. The combination of pastry, bittersweet chocolate and almond has the flat density of a cookie and the richness of, well, also a cookie. Chelsea Market Lower Level, 435 W. 15th St. (Ninth Avenue), Manhattan, Aux Merveilleux de Fred West Village | Midtown | Upper East Side This French import specializes in tall, pillowy meringue confections from northern France and Belgium that overshadow the plain croissants, which are baked fresh throughout the day. They are softer and flatter than the modern style of rhombus-shaped pastries with taut golden crusts, but still exceptionally flaky and buttery sweet. These croissants used to be an "if you know, you know" kind of thing, but lately, it seems as if everyone is in on the secret. This is ultimately a good thing, because at less than $4, they're also the most reasonably priced in Manhattan. Multiple locations, Bench Flour Bakers Astoria The kitchen at this neighborhood cafe and bakery turns out terrific breakfast plates and great croissants. There are no experimental shapes or quirky fillings here, just an unfussy heap of classic butter croissants along with other homey baked goods. They are on the small and dense side, which is a matter of style, but the flavor is compelling in the same way that warm toast slathered in butter is hard to resist. 43-18 25th Ave. (44th Street), Queens, Birdee Williamsburg In the world of hyphenated Franken-pastries, the churro-croissant at Birdee bakery is in a league of its own. Pastry chef Renata Ameni successfully fuses the two pastries while maintaining the best elements of each. And despite its nontraditional circular shape, the crisp texture remains intact, with plenty of crevices where cinnamon sugar adds its sweet and sandy crunch. Ameni also made the smart decision to dollop dulce de leche on top of each pastry, rather than pipe it inside, preserving the honeycomb interior. 316 Kent Ave. (South Third Street), Brooklyn, C&B East Village People wait in long lines at C&B for the breakfast sandwiches, but the butter croissants are just as wait-worthy. The owner, Ali Sahin, is a self-taught baker who started making breads for his sandwich business in 2015 before broadening his scope to include pastries. He uses stone-milled flour for all of his doughs, which ferment over two days. These details show up in the sourdough croissants, which have a lingering flavor of cultured butter and a lightweight crunch. 178 E. Seventh St. (Avenue B), Manhattan, Café Bilboquet Upper East Side Café Bilboquet is an unlikely source of trendy viral pastries, but here we are. An extension of Le Bilboquet, this cafe exudes an unbothered French sensibility, from the pile of jambon beurre sandwiches to the brusque service. And yet the best croissants here are inspired by internet sensations -- like a Dubai chocolate-inspired version, or one capped with chocolate chip cookie dough. The Dubai version nails the trend with a classic butter croissant stuffed with a sticky, flavorful pistachio butter, and copious shreds of kataifi (crispy, shredded phyllo dough), all topped with a blanket of bittersweet chocolate. 26 E. 60th St. (Madison Avenue), Manhattan, Elbow Bread Lower East Side At her bakery, Elbow Bread, baker and pastry chef Zoë Kanan makes croissants with egg-enriched challah dough, giving them a noticeably golden hue, and laminates the dough with tons of butter so the crust is bronzed and flaky. The result is like a croissant on the outside, challah on the inside. For something even less traditional, but equally ingenious, try the honey bun, a variation of the laminated challah dough, braided and slathered in vanilla honey caramel. 1 Ludlow St. (Canal Street), Manhattan, L'Appartement 4F Brooklyn Heights | West Village L'Appartement 4F was an early entrant in the current croissant craze; it may even have started it. The owners, Gautier and Ashley Coiffard, first made a splash with tiny croissant cereal in 2021, but have since built a devoted following for their traditional croissants with a classic flavor profile -- sweetly buttery and a tad salty. The original location in Brooklyn Heights has a small balcony with seating, but discerning croissanteurs might consider their new walk-up window on West 10th Street in Manhattan, where the croissants are a little fresher, warmer and more satisfying. Brace for lines either way. Multiple locations, Brooklyn and Manhattan, La Bergamote Chelsea Don't be distracted by the colorful tarts or cakes at this French cafe, operating since 1998. The plain croissants are what you're after -- tucked into a remote corner of the pastry case and, for some reason, well below eye level. Your focus will be rewarded with a croissant that may set the bar for French-style versions in New York City. These golden, crab-shaped pastries defy the rules of contemporary croissant-making, which mandate height and structure. Instead, they collapse into feathery shards. But the lamination has done its work, leaving behind a tender, delicate flake and lactic flavor. 177 Ninth Ave. (West 20th Street), Manhattan, Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery NoHo This is important: You do not need to wait in line for the viral supreme croissant at Lafayette Bakery, the pastry alcove attached to the all-day French cafe of the same name. The traditional butter croissant is a much better use of your time. The texture is a case in opposites -- crisp and pillowy with a flavor that hovers between toasted bread and tangy butter. It looks beautiful, too, deeply bronzed with fine layers of pastry that resemble wood grain. If we're talking about FOMO, this is the one you don't want to miss. 380 Lafayette St. (Great Jones Street), Manhattan, Librae Bakery East Village The rose pistachio croissant here is for people who like their sweets on the sweeter side. It's double-baked with a jammy pistachio frangipane filling and a chunky pistachio crust. There's a whisper of rose, but any perfumelike notes are tamed by the toasted, nutty richness of pistachio; the flaky, syrupy layers of the croissant hint at baklava, another super-sweet dessert. Librae also has excellent croissant-themed merchandise for the truly committed. 35 Cooper Square (East Sixth Street), Manhattan, Lysée Flatiron district To some, traditional chocolate croissants are proportionately all wrong. Either there's too much pastry and not enough chocolate, or the chocolate is cold and waxy -- or both. At French Korean patisserie Lysée, pastry chef Eunji Lee reworks the chocolate croissant entirely with a pastry called the pain au chocolat 2.0. This improved version is muffin-shaped and capped with a thin layer of ganache coated in rough chocolate crumbles, ensuring luscious chocolate in every flaky bite. Croissants are available only Friday through Sunday, and they sell out toward the end of the day -- so plan accordingly. 44 E. 21st St. (Park Avenue South), Manhattan, Miolin Bakery Park Slope Over the past few years, Park Slope has experienced its own little bakery boom, with Miolin Bakery emerging in 2024 as the top spot for stellar croissants. What started as a pandemic-era cottage bakery has blossomed into a neighborhood bread boutique. Baker and co-owner Claudio Miolin makes a flawless butter croissant, but the fillings give the pastry a little more oomph. The chocolate hazelnut croissant has striking brown stripes from a touch of cocoa in the laminated dough, and is generously filled with silky Nutella. 422 Seventh Ave. (14th Street), Brooklyn, Nick + Sons Bakery Greenpoint The traditional croissants at Nick + Sons are famous for two reasons: being good and selling out. It's true, they are best in class and have a crunchy texture that yields in all the right places. Their flavor is distinctively buttery, with a lingering ripple of saltiness. You could stop here, but other pastries made from the same laminated dough, like the spinach ricotta Danish, are just as impressive. The bakery recently relocated from a walk-up window to a garagelike space in Greenpoint. Even with more room, the croissants still sell out. And if you're heading to the Jersey Shore this summer, there is a second location in Spring Lake, New Jersey. 892 Lorimer St. (Nassau Avenue), Brooklyn, Pavé Midtown At Pavé, the croissants taste like high-quality European butter because that's what chef and owner Jonghun Won uses. He layers expensive Bordier butter into the dough, which bakes into light and crisp pastries. The croissants are also used for several sandwiches, like turkey salad or ham and cheese. While you're at it, why not buy a few bars of Bordier butter to take home; they're sold at the bakery. 20 W. 46th St. (Fifth Avenue), Manhattan, Runner & Stone Gowanus A good croissant should remind you that laminated pastries are an extension of bread baking. Runner & Stone is a bread bakery first, and it shows. The cafe, on a sleepy street in Gowanus, is overflowing with whole wheat baguettes, rye ciabattas and other country-style loaves. The croissants are made with New York state-grown and milled grains, and everything here is naturally leavened with sourdough, which means deeper, more interesting flavors. The croissants are small and unassuming, but they are a standout option. 285 Third Ave. (Carroll Street), Brooklyn, Somedays Bakery Astoria | Long Island City The croissants at Somedays Bakery can border on the absurd with specials like chicken Caesar salad and three-cheese mac and cheese. One staple of the pastry case, however -- the black sesame tahini croissant -- has just the right balance of fun and flavor. The base, made with New Zealand butter, is stuffed with nutty tahini frangipane and baked a second time with a cap of black sesame brittle. Too much black sesame paste can taste bitter, but this croissant does a good job of emphasizing the ingredient without overwhelming you with it. Multiple locations, Queens, Supermoon Bakehouse Lower East Side This downtown bakery is known for its whimsical pastry mashups like the Ferrero Rocher cruffin, a whammy of tightly coiled pastry filled with creamy Nutella. But purists will better appreciate baker and co-owner Ry Stephen's plain butter croissant, where the emphasis is on a crisp texture and subtle yeasty flavor. The style here is best described as bien cuit, or well done, giving it an especially toasted taste and aroma. The pain au Nutella is also a strong choice, cloaked in a layer of velvety chocolate and a chef's quantity of flaky sea salt. 120 Rivington St. (Essex Street), Manhattan, T Café Financial District The French onion croissant here is not so much an innovation as it is an interpretation. Key components of the classic soup -- bread, cheese and savory onions -- are present but simply rearranged. The pastry dough is made with sourdough starter, forming a strong foundation of flavor. Caramelized onions are smothered with sharp Gruyère and fresh thyme. The vibe inside the Tin Building is a bit dull in the mornings, but stepping outside to enjoy your French onion croissant by the East River is never a bad way to spend five minutes in the city. Tin Building by Jean-Georges, 96 South St. (Fulton Street), Manhattan, Tall Poppy Chelsea Expectations can run high at this shoe box of a bakery that looks like an Etsy search for croissant decor. (The wax candle worthy of Madame Tussauds is a personal favorite.) Luckily, Tall Poppy's everything cruffin lives up to the bakery's croissant obsession. It has an exuberantly crunchy surface, enhanced by a generous coating of housemade everything seasoning, heavy on the salt. There is a trove of thick chive cream cheese in the middle, which in this city amounts to something more like a bagel than a muffin. 156 W. 20th St. (Seventh Avenue), Manhattan, Thea Fort Greene There seems to be a perpetual line at this bakery in Fort Greene, but this one is worth the wait for a classic croissant (and it moves quickly). It's a textbook version with a crisp, lacquered shell and even layering within. The flavor is distinctly nutty, which is all to say that a good croissant should give you something to think about. This offshoot of the restaurant Theodora also does ingenious things with Middle Eastern ingredients: When it's available, the double-baked kataifi croissant is pleasantly Dubai chocolate-adjacent with a crisp, satisfying crunch. 17 Greene Ave. (Cumberland Street), Brooklyn, FAQs Q1. Where will you get best Croissants in New York? A1. Best croissants can be purchased in ALF Bakery. Q2. What is Croissant? A2. A croissant is a buttery, flaky pastry of Austrian origin that became a hallmark of French baking. It's made from a laminated dough, which involves folding layers of butter into dough multiple times to create a light, airy texture with distinct layers. Shaped into a crescent—hence the name, which means "crescent" in French—the croissant is baked until golden brown and crisp on the outside.


NDTV
21 hours ago
- NDTV
Sourdough With A Desi Twist: Here's How You Can Make It Your Own
Ever tried baking bread at home? There is something beautifully meditative about it. Mixing flour and water, working the dough with your hands, then waiting, watching as it transforms into a golden, crackling loaf is just so satisfying. It is not just cooking; it is an act of immense joy. And if there is one recipe that has captured the imagination of home bakers in recent years, it is sourdough. Once a niche found only in artisan bakeries, sourdough has now bubbled its way into kitchens around the world, including those right here in India. But here is where things get interesting: Indian bakers are making it their own. This is no longer just a crusty European bread. It is sourdough spiced with ajwain, kneaded with ragi, and swirled with turmeric. In this feature, we dive into the flavours, grains, and techniques reshaping sourdough the Indian way. Get ready for warm crusts, bold ingredients, and a whole lot of homegrown creativity. Sourdough And Its Indian Bread Connection: Long before sourdough became a trend, Indian kitchens were already practising the quiet art of fermentation. Traditional Indian breads like bhatura use fermented curd or old dough for their fluff. Dosa and idli batters rely entirely on naturally occurring yeast and lactic acid bacteria to rise. In coastal regions, toddy or fermented rice water has long played a role in leavening soft appams. The result? An interesting link between Indian culinary lineage and the French delicacy. It turns out that the patience, warmth, and microbial magic that make sourdough possible have always been a part of our cooking techniques. The Desi Take On Sourdough: Sourdough might begin as a humble mix of flour, water, and salt, but a touch of Indian pantry staples can transform it into something layered, soulful, and totally unique. Here's how you can upgrade a classic sourdough: 1. The Thepla Link: Channel the rustic essence of a Gujarati thepla by blending in methi for a bittersweet depth, crushed jeera for earthiness, and a pinch of haldi for warmth, colour, and health benefits. Add a dollop of ghee while serving, and you have got a slice that feels both familiar and novel. 2. The Naan Inspiration: We all love that charred tandoori flavour of the naan. Taking a cue from the classic bread, add some kalonji to the sourdough for oniony crunch. Also, add ajwain for a flavour punch and digestive benefits. These seeds add texture and a bold top note that makes each bite go perfectly well with chana masala, paneer bhurji, chicken curry, and other desi recipes. 3. Reimagine The Flour: Add depth, nutrition, and a touch of nostalgia by replacing a portion of refined flour with atta, ragi, or even jowar and bajra. Millets add a distinctly Indian character to the sourdough while also supporting health and satiety. 4. Play With Herbs And Spices: Ginger-Curry Leaf Sourdough: Add grated ginger and finely chopped curry leaves into the dough for a South Indian-inspired aromatic loaf. Green Chilli And Coriander: For those who like heat, finely chop and fold in green chilli and dhania leaves for a chutney-inspired kick. Tadka-Inspired Crust: Brush your loaf pre-bake with ghee infused with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a pinch of hing for an irresistible crackle and fragrance. In Conclusion: Sourdough may not have originated in India, but it has found a home here. In a way, it is just another kind of roti, kneaded with care, risen with patience, and shared with joy. So, the next time you plan to bake some bread at home, give it a pinch of turmeric or a handful of jowar flour and create something that reflects your personality beautifully.


India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
How Puducherry became a Union Territory, know lesser-known facts
Pondicherry Foundation Day is celebrated every year on July 1, marking the formal creation of Puducherry as a Union Territory (UT) in date holds historical significance as it signalled the completion of Puducherry's long journey from French colonial rule to becoming an integral part of India. It is commemorated with cultural events, tributes, and public pride across the coastal region of Puducherry, earlier known as Pondicherry, had been under French rule for nearly 300 years. Even after India's independence in 1947, Pondicherry and a few other small enclaves like Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam remained under French control. The transition began with a de facto transfer of power in 1954, when administrative control was handed over to India. However, it was only on August 16, 1962, that the French Parliament ratified the treaty, and Pondicherry was officially merged with July 1963 1, Pondicherry was declared a Union Territory with its own legislative assembly. This historic moment is what Foundation Day is unique in that it consists of four geographically separated regions -- Pondicherry, Karaikal (both on the Tamil Nadu coast), Yanam (in Andhra Pradesh), and Mahe (in Kerala). Despite this, the Union Territory operates under a unified administration and continues to preserve a rich blend of French and Indian DID PONDICHERRY BECOME PUDUCHERRY?advertisementThe change from Pondicherry to Puducherry was officially made in 2006, but its roots trace back to the territory's original Tamil name.'Puducherry' comes from the Tamil words 'Pudu' (new) and 'Cheri' (village).When the French colonised the region in the late 1600s, they adapted the name to 'Pondichery', which the British later anglicised to 'Pondicherry'.After independence, the Indian government and local citizens gradually pushed to restore traditional and culturally relevant names to reflect regional identity and linguistic in October 2006, the Indian Parliament passed a bill officially renaming Pondicherry to change was not just symbolic -- it marked a step towards decolonisation of place names, a movement across India to reclaim indigenous cultural FACTS ABOUT PONDICHERRYFrench is still an official language in Pondicherry along with Tamil, Telugu and follows French street naming with signs in both Tamil and FrenchPodicherry is home to the famous Auroville, an international experimental Sri Aurobindo Ashram attracts thousands of spiritual seekers each architecture in the French Quarter reflects pure colonial are no high-rise buildings in central Puducherry due to heritage was one of the last colonial territories to join independent name 'Puducherry' means 'new village' in Tamil – reflecting its local roots even during colonial has one of the highest literacy rates in India, with over 85% of the population being town planning is based on a grid system, inspired by French urban design – rare in Indian is a favourite film-shooting destination, thanks to its European streetscapes and serene beaches.- Ends