%0 Thesis
%9 Pre-master
%A Lehane, Catherine
%D 2024
%F theses_frw:4668
%P 39
%T Loo and Behold: Accessibility and the Socio-Spatial Construction of Dutch Public Toilets
%U https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4668/
%X This thesis explores policy articulations of accessibility in an effort to examine the contested role of  public toilets within Dutch urban public spaces. The study employs a three-tiered approach, commencing  with a comprehensive historical analysis to establish the trajectory of public toilets in the Netherlands,  tracing their evolution from rudimentary facilities to modern-day amenities. This is followed by an area  analysis, to highlight the present-day scenario of public toilets in Groningen, mapping out the spatial  distribution and accessibility of facilities. Finally, discourse analysis is employed to critically examine  policy conceptualisations of accessibility within local planning documents. In employing discourse  analysis, the study aims to unearth the underlying ideologies and power dynamics that shape the discourse  surrounding public toilet accessibility. In drawing attention to the history, urban reality, and policy  discourses surrounding Dutch public toilets, it seeks to inform more inclusive and equitable urban  planning practices with a goal of more accessible and inclusive public spaces for all. This thesis  contributes both to academic scholarship and urban policy-making. The study finds that despite framing  accessibility as both a goal and fundamental principle guiding policy development and implementation,  local policy fails to meet accessibility standards set in regards to the physical and informational  component.