Cultural Churches as Third Places and Relational Transitional Spaces Between Tradition and Innovation in Urban and Rural Areas

Objective Across Europe, declining religious participation has left many church buildings underused, while both rural and urban communities face shortages of accessible social infrastructure. In response, local actors are increasingly experimenting with the cultural repurposing of church spaces, transforming them into multifunctional places of encounter and fostering local niche innovations within social networks. Methods Based on an in‐depth qualitative case and network analysis of a cultural church in Lower Saxony, the characteristics of the cultural repurposing of an urban church are examined and compared with additional rural cultural churches in Germany. Results This article introduces a “rurbanity triad” to conceptualize social relations in their spatial context and combines it with the concept of third places, which has rarely been systematically applied to churches. This framework offers an opportunity to analyze cultural repurposing processes and discuss transitions, social networks, and community formation. Expanding cultural use contributes to sustainable regional development by extending the life cycle of existing buildings and strengthening community‐based social infrastructure. Conclusion The findings show that spatial factors significantly influence innovation processes related to the cultural use of church buildings, while social networks play a decisive role in shaping both the process and its outcomes.