Liveability in Villages on the Veluw: How is it created and retained?

Abstract

This master thesis looks at the role of amenities and services within villages and their effect on determining livability within the village center. What amenities are present and how diverse these amenities are, affect the life of the village inhabitants and the degree to which they are dependent on the surrounding area for their needs. To study this relationship, this thesis focuses on the area of the Veluwe within the Netherlands. Within this area, there will be looked at the various villages and the amenities present, to assess the way different amenities affect the livability there. Through this analysis, it will become clear how the presence of amenities contributes to the livability within a village and why differences between villages exist. For instance, why some villages are thriving settlements where life is similar to a small city, while others are no more than commuter villages where the inhabitants simply only live, needing to go outside the village for other matters.