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Rethinking the External Space of Japanese Public Libraries from the Perspective of Urban Sustainability in a Post-Pandemic Era

Author

Listed:
  • Tongguang Zang

    (Department of Landscape Architecture Field of Landscape Design, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan)

  • Jun Jiang

    (Department of Landscape Architecture Field of Landscape Design, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan)

  • Konomi Ikebe

    (Department of Landscape Architecture Field of Landscape Design, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan)

  • Takeshi Kinoshita

    (Department of Landscape Architecture Field of Landscape Design, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan)

Abstract

In the post-pandemic era, cities are facing new demands and challenges. Both telecommuting and dense development require communities to provide more public space to meet people’s psychological and physical needs. The insufficient space currently left in the city calls for stock development. The Japanese public libraries affected by COVID-19 are part of this stock. We aimed to determine and propose strategies for using the external space of libraries to enhance the sustainability of cities. Ultimately, we expect to achieve a synergy between public libraries and cities in terms of sustainability. We found that the most dominant element in the exterior space of Japanese public libraries is parking lots, which have the potential to be flexibly utilized in the post-pandemic era. We also summarized the current patterns of external space for public libraries in Japan. Finally, we proposed six strategies to enhance the sustainability of libraries and cities. These strategies can simultaneously enhance the sustainability of cities and public libraries from multiple perspectives, especially in the post-pandemic era. Our proposal will not only help to build or renew public libraries in the future, but also fills a gap in the urban perspective of Japanese public libraries and their external spaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Tongguang Zang & Jun Jiang & Konomi Ikebe & Takeshi Kinoshita, 2023. "Rethinking the External Space of Japanese Public Libraries from the Perspective of Urban Sustainability in a Post-Pandemic Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:10:p:7796-:d:1143308
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Glackin & Magnus Moglia & Peter Newton, 2022. "Working from Home as a Catalyst for Urban Regeneration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Yiping Jiang & Yanhua Chen & Yanqi Wu & Xianlin Yang & Wenyan Yu, 2023. "Are Librarians Ready for Space Transformation? A Systematic Review of Spatial Literacy for Librarians," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Jiyoung Kim & Jiwon Lee, 2021. "An Analysis of Spatial Accessibility Changes According to the Attractiveness Index of Public Libraries Using Social Media Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Anna Claudelin & Kaisa Tuominen & Susanna Vanhamäki, 2022. "Sustainability Perspectives of the Sharing Economy: Process of Creating a Library of Things in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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