New Design Ideas

This study investigates the role of cafés as third places in enhancing work-life balance among flexible workers in urban settings. Based on survey data from 345 millennial knowledge workers in Bandung, Indonesia, the study focuses on 109 respondents who frequently use cafés as workspaces. Using a quantitative approach and bivariate regression analysis, the research explores how marital status, profession, gender, satisfaction with café facilities, and transportation modes influence the frequency of café visits for work. The findings reveal that cafés are valuable alternative workspaces, particularly for freelance professionals and married women seeking flexibility and relief from domestic demands. Cafés provide comfort, essential work amenities, sensory stimulation, and a neutral space bridging home and office, fostering productivity and emotional well-being. Two-wheeled transport options, like motorcycles and ride-hailing services, facilitate café access due to their efficiency. The study highlights the evolving role of cafés from third to second places, increasingly replacing traditional office functions for many flexible workers. It contributes to understanding work-life integration in contemporary urban contexts.