Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term "third place" in his 1989 book The Great Good Place to describe the informal gathering spaces between home and work -- the coffee shop, the library corner, the neighborhood park -- where community actually lives. Research confirms that third places strengthen social capital, reduce loneliness, and support mental health. They are not a luxury. They are infrastructure.
But most third places weren't built for everyone.
Neurodivergence, including autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and related conditions, affects an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the global population (World Economic Forum, 2024). For many of these individuals, the very features that make a cafe feel lively -- background music, fluorescent lighting, overlapping conversations -- create what researchers call sensory overload. A 2023 study in Autism Adulthood found that autistic adults frequently resort to masking their sensory challenges in public spaces just to participate, at significant emotional and physical cost. A 2024 study in the journal Land found that the design of built environments either opens access or closes it for neurodivergent people. When someone can't tolerate the environment of a coffee shop, they don't just miss out on coffee. They miss out on belonging.
Sensory-friendly design changes that. It means soft, dimmable lighting instead of harsh fluorescents, controlled sound levels and quieter zones, predictable layouts that reduce cognitive load, and staff trained to respond without judgment. Spaces that give visitors autonomy over their own experience. And the research is clear: inclusive design benefits everyone, including parents with young children, people experiencing anxiety, and anyone who has ever wished a public space felt a little less like too much.
Ryan's Rise Up Cafe was built on one belief: every person deserves a third place. Not one that tolerates their needs or asks them to mask through a visit -- a genuine one, where the environment was designed with them in mind from the start. Families of neurodivergent children, autistic adults, and people navigating a dozen invisible experiences have waited long enough for that space to exist.
A sensory-friendly third place doesn't just serve the individuals who need it. It makes the whole community richer. You belong here.
Sources: Oldenburg & Christensen, UNESCO Courier; MacLennan et al., Autism Adulthood (2023); World Economic Forum, Neurodiversity and Urban Planning (2024); qualitative study, Land journal (2024); Brookings Institution, "Third Places as Community Builders"; Remedy Psychiatry, Third Spaces and Well-Being (2025).