Digital transformation and third places: Mapping public spaces in Bekasi Regency

Bekasi Regency, as a rapidly urbanizing and industrial region, faces persistent challenges in providing inclusive and multifunctional public spaces that foster social interaction, community cohesion, and informal 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 develops 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 an analysis of user reviews obtained from Google Maps at a purposively selected set of locations. The study identified 136 third places, classified into Civic/Public Spaces (9.6%), Commercial Social Spaces (42.6%), Spiritual/Communal Anchors (6.6%), and Hybrid/Productive Spaces (41.2%). These locations are mainly concentrated in the Cikarang Barat, Cikarang Utara, and Tambun Selatan corridors. Reclassification showed that 75.0% of third places operate informally, suggesting that a substantial share of everyday social interaction is accommodated through spaces whose third-place functions operate outside or alongside explicitly planned social-space provision. Internet connectivity emerged as a key factor shaping space selection among younger residents, migrant workers, and informal entrepreneurs. Differences in spatial quality were observed between developed commercial areas and densely populated residential and peri-urban areas. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing informal and hybrid spaces in spatial governance instruments such as the Bekasi Regency Detailed Spatial Plan (RDTR) and strengthening public digital infrastructure to support inclusive urban development. Future research should extend this framework to comparative urban-industrial contexts and examine longitudinal impacts of digital transformation on everyday social infrastructure.