The pandemic moved many socializing and recreation spaces outside, as individuals and groups sought

to comply with COVID-19 indoor space mandates and closures. These Third Places became enlivened with new uses, and many transformed to accommodate new human needs and social distancing practices. This paper analyzes two parallel cases from Eugene, OR and Northampton, MA to identify common and divergent trends in use and behavior. Using Gehl Institute tools and field observation, data collected in the summer of 2021 revealed not only shifts in use, but also pertinent demographic differences. Use of the two spaces differed according to time of day and type of group, and was improved or hampered with spatial design features. Finally, the Right to the City theoretical framework is applied to these two cases in order to identify the ways in which spatial appropriation, particularly during a global pandemic, may have long-term opportunities and consequences for urban Third Places.