<![CDATA[As an urban and industrial area, Bekasi Regency faces challenges in providing inclusive and multifunctional public spaces that support social interaction, community cohesion, and economic activities. The limited availability of formal public spaces has encouraged the informal use of vacant spaces by local communities, indicating a need for both formal and informal “third places.” This study aims to develop a spatial database of third places in Bekasi Regency, identify their distribution patterns, and evaluate user experience through a phenomenological approach. A mixed-methods approach was applied by integrating Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial mapping using data scraped from Google Maps with field observations and semi-structured interviews at 24 purposively selected locations. The study identified 136 third places, classified into Civic/Public Spaces (33.8%), Commercial Social Spaces (40.4%), Spiritual/Communal Hubs (7.4%), and Hybrid/Productive Spaces (18.4%). These locations are mainly concentrated in the West Cikarang, North Cikarang, and South Tambun corridors. Reclassification showed that 75.7% of third places operate informally, indicating that community demand for social spaces is largely met outside the formal planning system. Internet connectivity was also found to influence space selection among migrant workers, younger people, and informal business operators. Differences in spatial quality were observed between developed commercial areas and densely populated residential and peri-urban areas. These findings highlight the need to recognize informal and hybrid spaces in the Bekasi Regency Detailed Spatial Plan (RDTR) and strengthen public digital infrastructure to support inclusive urban development.]]>
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