Cafe Reflections
I was an early adopter to social media. Over the years, it allowed me to reconnect with family and old friends. It also acted like a rolodex and calendar to stay in touch with friends and activities. It was a real time link to community groups. There was also a negative or downside to this tool...this new world. There emerged an incredible degree of negativity and vitriol. It became a platform for politics, daily complaints, scam, spam and people trying to sell you duct cleaning. Two years ago, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to try something new. As an urban planner, I have always believed in the concept of 3rd spaces. These spaces included parks, libraries and recreation centres all of which are publicly accessible. But there are also coffee shops restaurants, fitness clubs and more; while privately owned; provided a space where people and the community gathered. The concept emerged to create a virtual cafe. ...