At the end of a long day at work, the desire to relax at home can compete with the need to spend some enjoyable time socializing with friends. The more difficult is one’s commute, the less likely one is to spend extra time to go see friends. Living near the beach, in addition to the other advantages, means that in the morning I need only a few minutes to start my exercise in a pleasant, car-free space, and that in the evening I can meet up with friends while once again only traveling two minutes from my home. My afternoon beach walk has gradually transformed into the evening social hour. Usually I still walk, but almost invariably I run into someone I know or meet someone new. We chat. I return home refreshed from the fresh air, the exercise, and the socializing, without the nuisance of traveling far to meet people. We obviously can’t all live near the beach, but other public spaces can provide the same benefits…benefits on which it would be very difficult to place a monetary value. It is yet another reason that I’m delighted that part of my job is promoting public spaces!