Purpose As social infrastructures, public libraries are increasingly recognised as providing more than access to books and information; librarians’ work is importantly centred around practices of care. However, the ways in which they provide care is poorly researched, let alone...

The increasing involvement of the private sector in the design and management of urban public space has prompted some critical scholars to predict the 'end of public space'. This study reassesses the implications of private sector involvement through a comparative analysis of British and Dutch...

Many squares in Dutch city centres have been redeveloped in recent years. Their design and management have often changed, resulting in places characterised by dimensions of 'fear' and 'fantasy' such as the rise of camera surveillance and sidewalk cafés. The private sector is increasingly...