NLENFR
  • Future Place
  • Affordable Dwellings
  • Buffer Brooks
  • Caring Neighbourhoods
  • Circular Material Hubs
  • Climate Streets
  • Community Engines
  • Energy Districts
  • Flow Collectors
  • Food Land
  • Learning and Making Hubs
  • Content
  • community
  • diagram
  • image
  • interview
  • opinion
  • podcast
  • publication
  • video

© Bob van Mol
Not only were our tales on transformation told by our human guides the past few months, but the printed exhibition guide also took you along prefigurations of our societies, neighbourhoods and landscapes.

Some of you took a copy home, to colleagues, to family and friends. The tales are now ready to live their own lives. You can browse the booklet yourself and get carried away by the narratives told and be surprised by the projects involved.

Browse the exhibition guide
© Bob van Mol

649967293
22.11.21video
Livestream#5: The Great Transformation of Brussels - Practices of Change
With Pascal Smet (Brussels-Capital Region), Panos Mantziaras (Fondation Braillard Architectes/Luxembourg in Transition), Katrien Rycken (Leuven 2030), Sofie van Bruystegem (City Mine(d)), Dimitri Crespin (Brusseau) and Maarten Roels (Terre-en-vue); moderated by Roeland Dudal and Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels).
649967293
Brussels currently has an innovative civil society with many initiatives that, in collaboration with public and private actors, can add up to the greatest transformation project of the European capital. They are practices that respond to the necessary transitions of our living environment in order to provide spatial translations to the social changes. If we set up a multitude of projects simultaneously, we can achieve an unprecedented acceleration. To support these local organisations, we need new space for collaboration and innovations in urban policy: a visionary framework for the multiplication of these initiatives. Policies develop the frameworks to accelerate and properly land social transitions. Practices of change help to build good solutions to shape these challenges. In a public conversation on November 22, we will jointly discover the opportunities and bottlenecks experienced by different innovative practices. We will open the conversation with national and international policymakers and discuss how policies can give these initiatives a boost so that they do not remain the undercurrent but become the mainstream. The insights will be presented to the authorised State Secretary of the Brussels Capital Region, Pascal Smet.

We kick off the evening with an inspiring lecture by Panos Mantziaras on the programme Luxembourg in Transition in which designers and policy makers work on spatial visions for the climate-neutral and resilient future of Luxembourg. During the evening, we explore what Brussels can learn from policy instruments that are used in Luxembourg to work on transition issues. And we will dive deeper into the Brussels context with speakers connected to local organisations working on fundamental transformations as a new type of urban civil society: Sofie Van Bruystegem (City Mine(d)), Dimitri Crespin (Brusseau) and Maarten Roels (Terre-en-vue.

We will then draw lessons and talk about the valorisation of the workings of the innovative practices in the setting of a salon discussion with Pascal Smet, Panos Mantziaras (director Fondation Braillard Architectes and scientific director Luxembourg in Transition) and Katrien Rycken (director Leuven 2030). How are different actors and inhabitants collaborating on the city of the future and what can different cities learn from each other? How do we work together on the great transformation of Brussels?

10.06.21video
Livestream recording #4: Towards a New European Practice
A conversation with Dirk Somers, Koen Wynants, Nadia Casabella, Mike Emmerik, Hanne Mangelschots, Denis Cariat, Alessandro Rancati, Lene De Vrieze and Joachim Declerck.
The aim of The Great Transformation 2020-2030 social initiative is to fill in the missing link: the lack of connections between the many experiments and practices in the field and the ambitious top-down goals. The starting point of this initiative is that we often tend to invest a lot of energy in developing plans and major agreements, while the real question concerns the shift to taking action. How can these great ambitions be implemented on our streets, in our neighbourhoods, industry, etc. How do we activate and support the various actors in carrying out these projects? The Great Transformation has the ambition to pool public, private and civil society strengths and expertise, to co-create acceleration strategies for strategic recovery and transition projects such as food parks, energy districts and future-oriented climate streets. Using the power of imagination, we form coalitions and formulate strategic sites that can be realised between now and 2030.

The first discussion of this afternoon is based on existing practices that provoke change or respond to the changing challenges. What kind of practice do we actually need most? In the second discussion we position the initiative of The Great Transformation in the context of a larger network of this type of environment to mobilise and accelerate innovative practices in order to achieve an implementation wave – the topic of the concluding discussion. How do we imagine and create the pathways towards the ambitions of the Green Deal? What are the necessary conditions for accelerating the shift to action?

The Great Transformation is an independent learning environment, incubator and public programme, initiated by a diverse group of social actors. It focuses on the concrete implementation of European and national recovery plans and the Green Deal, and is a partner initiative of New European Bauhaus.


Programme:

13:00 – 14:15
Round-table 1: Architecture and Transition
With Dirk Somers (Bovenbouw Architectuur), Koen Wynants (Commons Lab) and Nadia Casabella (1010 architecture urbanism)

14:30 – 15:45
Round-table 2: Platforms for Practices
With Denis Cariat (Charleroi Métropole), Hanne Mangelschots (Architecture Workroom Brussels) and Mike Emmerik (Independent School for the City)

16:00 – 16:15
The Great Transformation: initiative and online platform

16:15 – 17:00
Round-table 3: Landing the Green Deal
With Alessandro Rancati (New European Bauhaus), Dirk Somers (Bovenbouw Architectuur) and Denis Cariat (Charleroi Métropole)

Moderated by Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels)
573066270

The climate street as a lever
The climate street as a lever
© 2020
09.06.21diagram
The climate street as a lever
Many challenges converge in the street. Although they are often linked to different policy domains and competences, they land in the same space. In many pioneering projects, we see that they start from one specific challenge. For example, the air quality at the school gates, or the desire for extra meeting and playing space during the summer months.
When we talk about a climate street, we go a step further. Although it may start from one specific challenge, the climate street looks for methods to tackle other challenges at the same time. How can improving air quality be combined with combating heat? How can the reuse of rainwater also provide for additional meeting and social contact in the neighbourhood? There are endless win-win opportunities to be found in the street.
The climate street as a lever
The climate street as a lever© 2020

09.06.21video
Portraits: #10 Lieven
The fact that the green spaces in the city, such as at the foot of trees in the street, have to be neatly and professionally maintained is something that few people think about. Lieven provides an insight into the impact of the greening of streets on the management activities of the Parks Department - and the way in which citizens can enjoy this 'self-evident process’.
561055637

03.06.21video
Livestream recording #3 - ENERGY DISTRICTS: DESIGNING THE RENOVATION WAVE
How do we improve the energy performance of our building stock in a collective and affordable way, not only to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve our sustainability goals, but also to increase local entrepreneurship and improve the quality of living?
Around this question, we opened the second workspace on the online platform of The Great Transformation on Thursday June 3. For the occasion, we start a conversation with architect and urban designer Eva Pfannes (OOZE), development activist Jim Segers (CityMine(d)), energy expert Ruben Baetens (3E) and Joachim Declerck (AWB) during the Great Transformation Session - Energy Districts: Designing The Renovation Wave.

Our existing building stock is one of the largest emitters of CO2 and is still extremely dependent on fossil fuels. Raising the performance of our ageing homes is therefore necessary and at the same time represents a leap in living quality. Moreover, local energy production keeps the profits with the users. If we tackle this together, we can not only reduce the cost, but also strengthen the neighbourhood feeling and social cohesion in a neighbourhood. The big challenge is to mainstream this type of energy districts.

Which organisational capacity, business model and approach is needed? Can we address residents on their own needs, problems and motivations? How can the construction, innovation and services sector, cooperatives, local governments, the Brussels, Flemish and Belgian governments, energy distributors and regulators play a role in this?
559994466

03.06.21diagram
Designing the Renovation Wave - The Challenge of our Built Environment
This map showing the built environment in the Brussels – Flanders region, illustrates the size of the challenge for the collective renovation needed in order to tackle the energy question.

02.06.21video
Portraits: #9 Simon
Electrician Simon takes a practical look at the energy problem. What is needed to heat a home sustainably? He highlights the challenge that lies ahead of us to make society energy-neutral on a large scale. His conclusion: the right individual choices make a difference, but even more important is that those choices are made as soon as possible and by as many people as possible at the same time.
557952326

02.06.21publication
De Lage Landen 2020–2100. Een toekomstverkenning
In the research and publication 'De Lage Landen 2020-2100. A Future Outlook', the concept of "energy districts" is proposed from a spatial analysis and hypothesis for the renewable energy transition.

02.06.21publication
Space for energy transition
On the basis of a series of stakeholder tables with architects, local politicians, developers, energy cooperatives and experts, a recommendation for a space and energy policy was formulated, which states that a neighbourhood approach can be the lever for the realisation of the energy transition.

28.05.21video
Livestream recording #2 - FOOD LAND: PROMISING LAND-USE COALITIONS
How do we organise a new interplay between land position and land use to create more space for healthy, profitable and affordable food production in a climate-resistant landscape?
Lots of initiatives experiment with innovative coalitions that shift the focus from land ownership to land use. In exchange for its shared use, some farmers manage natural land. Some unite with citizens to jointly purchase land. Other farmers cultivate their customers’ land. These initiatives make room for food production by bundling the interests of owners with strategic land positions and the interests of farmers without land, in a collective project. In which conditions are these new types of coalitions possible? Who is already willing to jump aboard, and sometimes why not? What are the most strategic collaborations, and how can we multiply them?

A conversation with historian Tim Soens (UAntwerpen), bio farmer Kurt Sannen (Het Bolhuis), landscape & heritage advisor Shera van den Wittenboer (Board of Government Advisors of the Netherlands) and Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels) during the Great Transformation Session – Food Parks: Promising Land Use Coalitions (Thursday May 27 2021).
557115138

26.05.21image
Montage Food Parks
The Food Parks Investment Programme focuses on new types of cooperation between farmers without land guarantees and landowners. What are the specific and successful frameworks for cooperation? What kind of exchanges take place? And what do governments, citizens and flanking organisations bring to the table?

26.05.21publication
Pitch Food Parks Investment Programme
This presentation describes the what and why of the Food Parks Investment Programme. The document served as a basis for initial discussions with various actors.

26.05.21video
Livestream recording #1: BUILDING A SOCIETAL WORKSPACE
Major challenges and ambitious plans are emerging thick and fast. But how do we shift from 'paper' analyses and intentions to achieving structural and qualitative changes in our neighbourhood, society and economy? How do we overcome this together?
On may 20 we launched The Great Transformation, an independent learning environment, incubator and public programme. Enterprising citizens, governments, businesses, financiers, scientists and organisations will work on actual breakthroughs and achievements. Using design and the power of the imagination, we are forming coalitions and formulating strategic sites that can be achieved on a huge scale between now and 2030.

What is the indignation and shared commitment behind The Great Transformation? We launch the online platform with innovative practices that form the Building Blocks for Future Places and Portraits that depict transitions from an eye-level perspective. We reflect on how to proceed.

A conversation with Koen Schoors (UGent), Griet Celen (VLM), Mieke Debruyne (Woestijnvis), Floris Alkemade (Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands) and Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels) about the (online) workspace of The Great Transformation.
555595310

18.05.21video
Portraits: #7 Koen
The Rolling Climate Fund provides low-threshold loans to citizens so they can make their homes energy efficient in a single process. Economist Koen explains that because monthly savings on energy bills are higher than the repayments, a comfortable home is also within reach for people on a lower income.
552713586

18.05.21video
Portraits: #6 Sophie
Sophie is a Hero for Zero: she advocates for zero road fatalities and serious casualties in the streets of Brussels. It not only involves road safety, but also laying claim to the public space. To create a city that prioritises soft road users and social life above the flow of vehicles.
552713943
Portraits: #6 Sophie

18.05.21video
Portraits: #8 Koen
Commons Lab is an Antwerp citizen initiative set up in 2018, involving shared use without ownership, but with proper agreements. A common, Koen says, which started with a communal rain barrel - but now has a portfolio that extends to the city level.
552713739

18.05.21video
Portraits: #5 Els
Solar panels and local green energy for any budget, big or small. In Sint Amandsberg, near Ghent, the Buurzame Stroom city programme makes it possible for Els and her fellow residents to benefit too - without boosting gentrification.
552713397


© Bob Van Mol
28.04.21community
Report Walking Workshop: Coordination Platform Energy Brussels Northern District
On the 28th of April in the Brussels Northern District a Walking Workshop has been organised. This was positioned within the framework of the Coordination Platform Energy, initiated by the City of Brussels and in collaboration with 3E and Architecture Workroom Brussels. The walk had the ambition to explore and harvest the specific local potentialities and needs to start envisioning a comprehensive and integrated process to build a Positive Energy District in this peculiar neighbourhood.
Different mobilized and active actors in the field of the energy transition, also part of the ongoing exchanges organised within the Coordination Platform, have been invited to reflect together during this district exploration. Here we focused on how we should collectively start to envision and realize the energy transition in the Northern District, by identifying potential local energy projects.
At the same time experience of other Belgian cases where the energy question has been put central in developing local energy production and in strategizing upon a differentiated local energy district, have been part of the discussion.

In fact, during the walk several pitches were given by experts to fuel the conversation with specific knowledge. Near the Foyer Laekenois towers, Jean Frippiat from APERe gave a first pitch explaining how to set up different Local Energy Communities, bringing to the fore Nos Bambins and SunGilles as examples.
Afterwards as we continued into the Senne parc, Chloé Verlinden from CityMine(d) explained their current project SunGilles and how they are trying to set up a LEC with the inhabitants of a social housing block. Clear in the discussion was that the energy question needs to enter the daily life of the neighbourhood, where citizens, public and private actors and stakeholders can play a key role in building this energy district. This would imply collective mobilization of the neighbourhood, where sensibilization around the reduction of energy consumption, and the local production are central questions for this shift.

Once close to the port and the location of the future Sports Tower, the group started reflecting and discussing on how new buildings and local transformations could represent a crucial opportunity to implement local energy production. In this framework Anne-Sophie Vanhelder, working at the CityTools and Olga Bagnoli, from the City of Brussels, gave an overview regarding the work they are developing within the Contract de Quartier Durable, as an opportunity to further implement and embed the energy question in the local transformations.

Therefore, clear in the discussion was that an energy district in the Northern Quarter needs to tackle many local questions at the same time, and that an integrated way to structure this pivotal change is needed. This was the ground in which the presentation from Wannes Vanheusden from 3E laid in. He illustrated the concept of a community dashboard, how it would funtion and how it constitutes an instrument to support an integral transformation of the district towards a PED. The concept of a community dashboard was further enriched by Boniface Nteziyaremye, part of the team of WeSmart, reporting the experience and the work done for the Tivoli project.
The walk concluded with a broader reflection on what those experiences would bring in the Northern District. In fact, the walk represented a good opportunity to start imagining concrete coalitions around certain projects and concepts. In the Northern District the discussion represented a testing moment to identify fertile ground to start working on the Positive Energy District. As a result of the walk, three specific concepts seemed relevant to start taking action towards an energy project in the neighbourhood:

The first component is related to the envisioning and building up of a Local Energy Community. This would mean that by building local mobilisation of residents by initiating possible dynamics for citizens engagement and co-creation, we would look into the local pattern of consumption and build local energy exchanges. The starting point could be around the Foyer Laekenois community

Furthermore, the new building developments, which characterizes the dynamics of the Northern District, has been identified as a good opportunity to start thinking about how the regulations as an urban planning instrument are pivotal in enhancing the local energy production. The development of the Sports Tower, along the canal seemed like a good starting point to tap into this discussion.

At the same time, the ongoing process built in the framework of the Contract de Quartier Durable was highlighted as a potential testing ground to further investigate and initiate dynamics of collective renovation of the local housing stock, starting from the Masui neighbourhood in the district.


Organisers:
City of Brussels, 3E, Architecture Workroom Brussels,

Participants:
Chloé Verlinden (CityMine(d)), Jean Frippiat (APERe), Ruta Aleks (1010au), Fred Tourné (Befimmo SA), Brigitte Auquier (Brussels Environment- Energy Unit), Anne-Sophie Vanhelder (CityTools), Alexandre Vanheule (Tractebel-Engie), Christophe Pourtois (Foyer Laekenois), Lien Dewit (Municipality Schaarbeek), Jonathan Lukas (Municipality Schaarbeek), Thomas Deweer (Up4North), Boniface Nteziyaremye (WeSmart), Stijn Oosterlynck (University of Antwerp), Donatienne Wahl (Chef cabinet Hellings), Laurent Du Bus (City of Brussels), Arnaud Kinnaer (City of Brussels), Pierre Hendrickx (City of Brussels), Olga Bagnoli (City of Brussels - Urban renovation), Roeland Dudal (AWB), Chiara Cicchianni (AWB), Hanne Mangelschots (AWB), Lucas Desmet (AWB), Simon De Clercq (3E), Wannes Vanheusden (3E), Filis Zumbultas (City of Brussels), Lea Kleinenkuhnen (City of Brussels), Sofia Rueda Castellanos (City of Brussels), Coralie De Crem (City of Brussels – Energy unit), Arnaud Bastogne (City of Brussels – Energy unit)

Report Walking Workshop: Coordination Platform Energy Brussels Northern District

Different mobilized and active actors in the field of the energy transition, also part of the ongoing exchanges organised within the Coordination Platform, have been invited to reflect together during this district exploration. Here we focused on how we should collectively start to envision and realize the energy transition in the Northern District, by identifying potential local energy projects.
At the same time experience of other Belgian cases where the energy question has been put central in developing local energy production and in strategizing upon a differentiated local energy district, have been part of the discussion.

In fact, during the walk several pitches were given by experts to fuel the conversation with specific knowledge. Near the Foyer Laekenois towers, Jean Frippiat from APERe gave a first pitch explaining how to set up different Local Energy Communities, bringing to the fore Nos Bambins and SunGilles as examples.
Afterwards as we continued into the Senne parc, Chloé Verlinden from CityMine(d) explained their current project SunGilles and how they are trying to set up a LEC with the inhabitants of a social housing block. Clear in the discussion was that the energy question needs to enter the daily life of the neighbourhood, where citizens, public and private actors and stakeholders can play a key role in building this energy district. This would imply collective mobilization of the neighbourhood, where sensibilization around the reduction of energy consumption, and the local production are central questions for this shift.

Once close to the port and the location of the future Sports Tower, the group started reflecting and discussing on how new buildings and local transformations could represent a crucial opportunity to implement local energy production. In this framework Anne-Sophie Vanhelder, working at the CityTools and Olga Bagnoli, from the City of Brussels, gave an overview regarding the work they are developing within the Contract de Quartier Durable, as an opportunity to further implement and embed the energy question in the local transformations.

Therefore, clear in the discussion was that an energy district in the Northern Quarter needs to tackle many local questions at the same time, and that an integrated way to structure this pivotal change is needed. This was the ground in which the presentation from Wannes Vanheusden from 3E laid in. He illustrated the concept of a community dashboard, how it would funtion and how it constitutes an instrument to support an integral transformation of the district towards a PED. The concept of a community dashboard was further enriched by Boniface Nteziyaremye, part of the team of WeSmart, reporting the experience and the work done for the Tivoli project.
The walk concluded with a broader reflection on what those experiences would bring in the Northern District. In fact, the walk represented a good opportunity to start imagining concrete coalitions around certain projects and concepts. In the Northern District the discussion represented a testing moment to identify fertile ground to start working on the Positive Energy District. As a result of the walk, three specific concepts seemed relevant to start taking action towards an energy project in the neighbourhood:

The first component is related to the envisioning and building up of a Local Energy Community. This would mean that by building local mobilisation of residents by initiating possible dynamics for citizens engagement and co-creation, we would look into the local pattern of consumption and build local energy exchanges. The starting point could be around the Foyer Laekenois community

Furthermore, the new building developments, which characterizes the dynamics of the Northern District, has been identified as a good opportunity to start thinking about how the regulations as an urban planning instrument are pivotal in enhancing the local energy production. The development of the Sports Tower, along the canal seemed like a good starting point to tap into this discussion.

At the same time, the ongoing process built in the framework of the Contract de Quartier Durable was highlighted as a potential testing ground to further investigate and initiate dynamics of collective renovation of the local housing stock, starting from the Masui neighbourhood in the district.


Organisers:
City of Brussels, 3E, Architecture Workroom Brussels,
Participants:
Chloé Verlinden (CityMine(d)), Jean Frippiat (APERe), Ruta Aleks (1010au), Fred Tourné (Befimmo SA), Brigitte Auquier (Brussels Environment- Energy Unit), Anne-Sophie Vanhelder (CityTools), Alexandre Vanheule (Tractebel-Engie), Christophe Pourtois (Foyer Laekenois), Lien Dewit (Municipality Schaarbeek), Jonathan Lukas (Municipality Schaarbeek), Thomas Deweer (Up4North), Boniface Nteziyaremye (WeSmart), Stijn Oosterlynck (University of Antwerp), Donatienne Wahl (Chef cabinet Hellings), Laurent Du Bus (City of Brussels), Arnaud Kinnaer (City of Brussels), Pierre Hendrickx (City of Brussels), Olga Bagnoli (City of Brussels - Urban renovation), Roeland Dudal (AWB), Chiara Cicchianni (AWB), Hanne Mangelschots (AWB), Lucas Desmet (AWB), Simon De Clercq (3E), Wannes Vanheusden (3E), Filis Zumbultas (City of Brussels), Lea Kleinenkuhnen (City of Brussels), Sofia Rueda Castellanos (City of Brussels), Coralie De Crem (City of Brussels – Energy unit), Arnaud Bastogne (City of Brussels – Energy unit)

31.03.21video
Portraits: #1 Rony
CSA farmer Ronny reveals how the Community Supported Agriculture model already guarantees his income at the beginning of the harvest season – his private customers pay a membership fee and jointly bear the risks. However, rocketing land prices in the outskirts of the city represent a significant obstacle for new farmers, regardless of the earnings model.

31.03.21video
Portraits: #4 Kurt
Livestock farmer Kurt has succeeded in establishing a number of win-win partnerships with nature organisations and fruit growers in the area, based on a vision that farming practices are part of a multilayered landscape.

31.03.21video
Portraits: #3 Yannick
Cultureghem stands for a fundamental social approach to food for urban dwellers, based on a simple key principle: access to healthy and affordable food for all. Under Yannick’s leadership the organisation contributes to a vibrant public space in one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods of Brussels.

31.03.21video
Portraits: #2 Bernadette
A group of local residents in the Ghent district of Rabot won their battle against the construction of a car park in their area and set up a communal garden on the site instead. The inner area containing 24 kitchen gardens now forms a green space for neighbourhood encounters, explains Bernadette, catalyst behind the project.