Stathmos

The organization behind the 4ᵗʰ Place Standard

Stathmos issues and maintains the 4ᵗʰ Place Standard. The placard says “4ᵗʰ Place”; the body behind it is Stathmos.

Stathmos is a non-profit civic-standards project. It exists to define, publish, and protect open standards for how shared public and civic spaces work — beginning with the 4ᵗʰ Place Standard for shared-audio civility.

The standard and its placard are branded 4ᵗʰ Place for public recognition; the organization that issues, governs, and protects the mark is Stathmos. Two names doing two jobs — the model UL Solutions uses with the UL Mark. On the door, a venue displays the 4ᵗʰ Place placard; behind it stands Stathmos.

A standard is only as trustworthy as the body that keeps it. Stathmos exists to hold the placard to a single meaning, keep it free, and keep it out of the market.

What Stathmos commits to

  • Free public access to the standard, placards, and directory — in perpetuity.
  • No advertising on any 4ᵗʰ Place property.
  • No paid placement, sponsored listings, or premium certification tiers.
  • No sale or licensing of the placard mark for commercial use unrelated to compliance.
  • Transparent, versioned governance: proposals, comments, and decisions published.

Status

Stathmos is currently an informal project, founded in Salamanca in 2026. Should it incorporate as a non-profit, these commitments will be written into its governing documents.

Stathmos on the web

Stathmos keeps its own home, separate from the standard it issues.

Visit stathmos.org →

For governance, press, or mark-use questions: standard@fourthplacestandard.org