Bibliotheek Leidschendam-Voorburg

What should the city council consider for ten potential locations? To weigh the pros and cons, well-founded arguments should fuel the political debate. Therefore, we took a closer look at ten different sites and contexts. Besides the contextual aspects of each spot, the volume of the plot had to be taken into consideration as well, as the city uses this to differentiate between medium and large-scale facilities. The feasibility study aimed to zoom in on relevant physical characteristics to make a considered judgment about their suitability. The study should be used for shaping opinions to feed the political debate in Leidschendam-Voorburg, and ultimately help determine the best possible locations for the future library.

Different lenses help us gain a holistic view. They are shaped by the theories of our heroes, among them Paco Underhill (environmental psychologist), Kevin Lynch (urban planner) and B. Joe Pine II (the author who coined the term ‘experience economy’). The lenses combine various insights into the physical aspects of successful third places. Using Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we can prioritize the psychological importance of social places’ physical characteristics. Urban factors are also taken into account, such as destination plans, the year of construction, age of a neighborhood, ratio of rental to owner-occupied housing, etc. And last but not least, the Dutch Library Law as far as the physical matters for healthy library operation. Quite the laundry list!

Based upon these insights, we analyzed, rated and evaluated the site and contexts’ demographic, social, geographic, economic, traffic and public transport issues. In the end, things are made simple through our transparent rating system that summarizes everything in a couple of numbers for each plot – ready for discussion to take off. With clarity and rationale, the members of the city council received a solid foundation for their great political debate.