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26Ideas

The gathering place

Communities are shaping their public spaces into social places.

Original reporting by Richard Littlemore

The gathering place
IdeasCommunities are shaping their public spaces into social places. The Ancient Greeks called it the agora – “the gathering place” – a large, public venue that served as an anchor for the local populace to interact, a predecessor to the more contemporary notion of the town square. A hub of economic, political, and social activity, the agora was the heartbeat of the city-state, where one might indulge in a concert, an exhibition, a vote, a protest, a grocery pickup, and a philosophical debate all over the course of an evening stroll. The anxiety disorder agoraphobia – which keeps sufferers locked in their homes with the curtains drawn – literally means “fear of the gathering place.”Photo: Richard Littlemore

Where the work begins

Communities are shaping their public spaces into social places.

What follows

Further reporting continues across the university network.

At a glance

  • Campus: UBC Vancouver & Okanagan (Point Grey & Kelowna)
  • Focus: Research & public discovery (Ideas)
  • Outcome: Verified reporting (September 2026 issue)
Sources 1
  1. Original reporting · magazine.alumni.ubc.ca

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This story is from the September 2026 issue of Alumni Digest · UBC. It's free, monthly and independent.

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