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Hilde Geens (°1953) is senior staff member urban planning at BRAL. She has been working since the early eighties on the ‘European dossier’ and was deeply involved in all initiatives and actions described in this publication. To this day she follows closely the overall Brussels planning processes, and in particular the developments in the European Quarter.

The publication "Community Organisation in the European Quarter in Brussels - Strategies for struggle - from 1986 until today" is available in 3 languages (English, French, Dutch) and  can be downloaded here.

BRAL a Belgian NGO that aims at making Brussels more sustainable, demonstrated today in front of the European Council’s Justus Lipsius building (rue de la Loi 175, 1040 Brussels), Wednesday 16 from 11.30 a.m. as EU Environment Ministers to discuss air quality norms for 2030. The objective is to stress the urgency of taking strong measures to clean up the air we breathe and to push for stricter air quality limits.

This is the first time since dieselgate that ministers in charge of combating air pollution will meet to discuss solutions. They will have the opportunity to reverse the technical and opaque decision taken on 28 October to ensure that the law is respected and that the health of Europeans is protected.

On 28 October EU governments have agreed on a major weakening of limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel cars, as well as postponed the implementation of new limits for all new cars until 2019. This allows cars to emit 210% more NOx than the EU air pollution standards (Euro 6) until 2020. And from 2021, all new cars will still be allowed to emit 50% more NOx than the Euro 6 limit of 80mg/km, permanently.

Member States will also decide new limits for dangerous air pollutants such as fine particles, NOx and ammonia for the next fifteen years. Documents show that Ministers are planning to significantly water down the limits proposed by the European Commission and they are proposing numerous flexibilities and accounting tricks to make air quality targets easier to hit [1]. They also suggest removing methane from the Directive, due to strong pressure from the intensive farming lobby.

According to a recent study by the European Environment Agency, 72, 000 premature deaths were caused by exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 2012 in the EU. The inhalation of NO2  causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, even lung cancer, as well as prenatal and early childhood abnormalities. Diesel vehicles are the principal source of hazardous NO2 in urban areas throughout Europe.

Footnote: 

[1] Concil document: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15172-2015-INIT/en/pdf

The procedure has barely been changed since 1979

The basic principles of the system have been set out in the Brussels Town Planning Code (CoBAT. / BWRO)[i]. Its modalities have been set down in detail in several implementing decrees. However, the legal provisions of the Regional Land Use Plan (PRAS / GBP) determine in which case the prior advice of the consultation committee is required.

The system was introduced in March 1976 by Paul Van den Boeynants, who was minister of Brussels Affairs at that time, by means of the approval of the draft Regional Land Use Plan[ii]. The Royal Decree provided for the first time that in the case of certain building applications a public inquiry was to be held, which needed to be announced in advance by means of red posters, and in addition, it provided for obligatory advice from a municipal consultation committee.

A major difference compared to the situation today was that only written reactions of the public at large were allowed at the time. Only the representatives of employers and workers could request to make representations to the consultation committee. Legal recognition was required to provide others with the same statute. At present, any resident or user of the town may react, in writing or orally during the public hearing of the consultation committee.

When the Regional Land Use Plan was finally approved three years later, the procedure was amended by means of a new Royal Decree[iii]. That Decree dating from November 1979 is still the foundation for the present system[iv].

The regional development plan of 1979 cornered by large projects

The origin of the system of public inquiries and consultation committees needs to be viewed in reference to the spirit of the time. At that time, urban planning was still a federal matter.  The 1962 act determined the hierarchy of the plans. It was decided that for the 19 municipalities or communes of Brussels only a Land Use development plan would be established. The Regional Land Use Plan for the Brussels-Capital Region (1979) was elaborated under very difficult circumstances and therefore did not include the ambitious objectives that really were highly needed at the time.[v]

The type of Regional Land Use Plan that had been set down in law was suitable for Flanders and Wallonia, but it was not adapted to the very mixed and quickly changing city. Vague zoning indications such as residential, industrial or rural areas for instance were not accurate enough to control office developments.  Brussels developed its own system: instead of establishing zones with one single land use, zones were demarcated with a main land use and a number of secondary land uses that were limited in floor area. After a public inquiry and on condition that the consultation committee gave a positive opinion, these secondary land uses could be allocated a larger floor area under specific conditions.

The draft-Land Use Plan of 1976 was the first plan for Brussels that had an official statute. However, other plans had been elaborated before that time, such as the preliminary study of the draft-Regional Land Use Plan by the Alpha Group [vi] and the plan prepared by the research consultancy Thekné [vii] for the City of Brussels. Although these documents had no legal status and they were never subjected to an organised debate, they did have an impact. The largest demolition projects for Brussels were even inspired by those plans: the continuation of the motorways into the centre, the extreme separation of land uses, the Manhattan Plan for the North Quarter with its demolition and expropriations, the extension of the Justice Palace, the demolition in the neighbourhood of the Marolles, etc

These developments provoked a lot of popular protest; the most important examples of this were the fight by the inhabitants of the North Quarter and the Marolles. Against this background, various local committees and regional organisations like ARAU (Atelier de Recherche et d’Action Urbaines), Bral (Urban Mouvement for Brussels) and IEB (Inter-Environnement Bruxelles) saw the light of day. There was also quite a lot of resistance against those major demolition projects among the young administrations in Brussels.

One of the consequences of the first oil crisis during the mid-seventies was the delay or even scrapping of many of those large projects. Therefore, there was time for reflection. Within that context, the real Regional Development Plan was drawn up, from a clearly defensive and a literally conservative point of view, for the concern of the policymakers to stop or prevent large real estate projects was greater than their willingness to design a true vision of the future for Brussels.

Twofold purpose and two parts

It is important to point out that the purpose of the system of public inquiries and consultation committees is twofold. Most of all, the system is intended to be a planning tool, because the individual evaluation of a building application can control the execution of the proposals submitted. The second ambition is to effect a wider involvement of the local residents in the decision-making. It cannot be denied that the public nature of the policy for granting building permission is enhanced by the organisation of a public inquiry and the associated consultation committee.

The procedure itself can also be divided into two parts. The first part, the public inquiry focuses in particular on the input from the residents. Anyone, resident, commuter or visitor to the area, each association or enterprise is entitled to study the file of the application or the project of the design, without having to demonstrate his direct or indirect interest. Anyone is entitled to express his remarks to the members of the consultation committee, either in writing or orally.

The consultation committee constitutes the second part of the procedure, and it organises the consultation between the various administrations, semi-governmental services and the town council. The committee where the real consultation takes place meets behind closed doors. The public part, which also refers to the ‘consultation committee’, is formally no more than a hearing. Therefore, in contradiction to what its name suggests, the consultation committee is not an ultimate participative device, but a tool for providing information and a hearing.

[i] Art 6 and art 9 of the Brussels’ Town Planning Code (CoBAT /BWRO) decree of 9/4/2004 amended several times

[ii] 22/03/1976 – Royal Decree for the foundation of a consultation committee for local town planning for each commune of the Brussels Capital Region and for the regulation of disclosure in reference to the activities and building work, which are subject to prior consultation according to the provisions of the draft regional plan and the regional plan of the agglomeration of Brussels.

[iii] 05/11/1979 – Royal Decree setting out for the Brussels Capital Region which special rules of public disclosure need to be followed in reference to some applications for building and land development and including the organisation for each commune of the Brussels Capital Region of a consultation committee for local town planning.

[iv] 23/11/1993 – Decree of the Brussels Government for the procedure of public inquiries and the consultation committee

[v] More about the past history and the difficult elaboration of the Brussels Capital Region Development Plan (1979) (special edition of Brallerlei)

[vi] Structure plan Alpha Group 1947, characterised by a clear separation of land uses.

[vii] On behalf of the City of Brussels1962, the Research Consultancy Thekné drew up a plan for the pentagon, with an inner ring road around the historical centre and residential high-rises along approach roads. 

Recup’Kitchen is a project that will give pride of place to food reclamation in association with the Latinis vegetable garden. It will be located on the site of the old Josaphat train station. 



It will focus on local and/or organic products as well as unsold produce from the markets of Brussels. It will offer low-priced dishes (pay what you want with a recommended minimum) prepared in a mobile kitchen. It shows that alternatives for a "different consumption pattern" are possible.

It will also offer a chance to get together on the ground to dream, debate, cook, take a break, build bonds, etc. 

To do this, they need to purchase a caravan and collect the funds needed to convert it, using environmentally-friendly materials, second-hand furniture, etc.



RECUP’KITCHEN will also travel within Brussels to seek out other citizens’ initiatives. 



Interested? Join them! You can help them, offer your skills, donate spare furniture and materials and/or support the project financially. 

 

BRALpublication # 4 gives an overview and analysis of a new genereation of residents’ initiatives.

Imagine…

What would you propose for our vibrant community at the Josaphat site (not the park)?

We, as enthusiasts citizens, already created a social community garden, a sustainable kitchen and are building a collective structure to host our activities and workshops. Together we are temporarily using a part of the Josaphat site.

Which great ideas can you offer us to add to these activities?

We would like to open up to more interventions that respect Josaphat as:

- a natural environment,

- a common and integrated place,

- a laboratory, a workshop space,

- a circular and transitory use, and

- a serene and cosy atmosphere.

These ideas can show the richness of our collective creativity. We hope to get inspired. We hope to explore what is possible on this place.

In Brussels, Sint-Lucas (Faculty of Architecture KUL) collaborates with BRAL to test the potential of the Incubators platform.

We hope this tool can support citizen participation in the creation of public spaces.

At the feet of the Brussels European Parliament, on the other side of rue Vautier, the Wiertz Museum accommodates not only the work of Antoine Wiertz precursor of Belgian surrealism, but also houses the memory of Henry Conscience. The workshop, the house, the stairs, the porter’s house, the patio and the garden: all are intact witnesses of the cultural eclecticism at the time Europe’s nations were developing. Per request of the local residents, confronted with the overwhelming construction site of the Parliament, the whole has been classified on October 23, 1997.

After the European Administration privatized – against their prior promises – the classified swimming pool and theatre of the Résidence Palace nearby the Schuman;

  • when the laborious installation of the House of European History in the old Eastman Institute on the classified site of Parc Léopold made us witness the triumphant return of “façadisme’ in Brussels;
  • at a time we learn about a possible demolition/reconstruction of the parliament’s hemicycle – which is partly situated in the protected zone of the classified site of the Wiertz Museum;
  • at the moment a general reformation of the environmental planning of the region is weakening the protection of patrimony; and that a citizen movement stands up against it;
  • right when security issues are again weighing on the districts we still live in

the Associative Coordination devoting itself to the preservation of Parc Léopold has been informed that the Belgian Federal Public Service of Internal Affairs is preparing to cede the house of the artist and the garden to the European Parliament, at the price of a symbolical Euro. It also learned that one of the studied options plans on emptying the building ‘coté cour’ and raising a “provisional” large reception hall ‘coté jardin’. What pottering awaits us ahead of this?

However, the European Parliament has decided that the year 2018 would be dedicated to the Union’s cultural patrimony, since it’s an effective way to promote European citizenship. Is it reasonable then, to take on attitudes and projects that risk not only to affect the Brussels, Flemish, Belgian and European patrimony, but also to create a new discord with the citizens, starting with those who live closest to the Union’s institutions?

For this reason we ask the European Parliament and the Belgian Federal Government to accept to meet us. Together, we want to develop a project intending to create a better future for the Wiertz Museum, Parc Leopold and their direct surroundings, because the Wiertz Museum and Europe belong to us… as well!

A petition gathering over 4,000 signatures has been put online to make sure we are no longer ignored by the people forgetting that in our district, like in the whole of Europe, the citizens-residents-voters do not accept to be pushed out. We will hand it over to the European Parliament and the Belgian Government at the time of the meeting we’re looking forward to ‘mit brennender Sorge’ (with ardent concern).

Contact FR, IT, DE & EN : Marco Schmitt 0497 122 770 - NL & EN Toha De Brant 02 217 56 33

Farewell urban motorway, so long traffic jams, bye-bye pollution! Let's give back the boulevards of the Petite Ceinture to the people of Brussels again. To all the people of Brussels.

Supported by actors from the Brussels academic world and urban activist groups, Rien van de Wall and Wim Menten, the city planners of BYE BYE Petite Ceinture, bring the debate on the future of the boulevards to the front. Our kick-off event is in the Kaaitheater on 22 September, during the Week of Mobility. We will show what is possible on the Petite Ceinture and will ask prominent Brussels politicians about their view of the boulevards.

Because the new cycle paths on the Petite Ceinture can only be a start. Let's prepare the next step, one in which the boulevards bring neighbourhoods together, get Brussels moving again and raise the quality of living and working in the city centre. A giant leap forward for the capital of Europe!

BYE BYE Petite Ceinture is an initiative of Wim Menten and Rien van de Wall (city planners and authors of PetiteCeinture.be), in cooperation with BRAL, ARAU, Brussels Studies Institute, Brussels Academy, IRIB (Institut de recherches interdisciplinaires sur Bruxelles) and Architecture Workroom Brussels.

Meer info :  byebye.kleinering.be & byebye.petiteceinture.be

Facebookevent :: https://www.facebook.com/events/115453022495271/

 

City inhabitants are exposed to a number of pollutants in their day-to-day lives, which can pose significant threats to health and well-being. Levels of pollution vary across the city and citizens may be unaware that they live in, work in, or frequently pass through heavily polluted places. Consider, for instance, two residents living in the residential outskirts of Brussels. One takes the tram to work in the city center while the other bikes along busy roads to reach the same destination. After a particularly muggy day, where the air feels heavy and thick, the two discuss their concerns regarding exposure to pollution and a few questions arise. When and where are they most exposed? How does pollution at home compare to pollution in the workplace? How do the bike and tram compare? To better understand their exposure, they decide to take part in the AirCasting Brussels project. This air quality measurement campaign uses the AirCasting Airbeam, an air quality monitor that measures a fine particle pollutant known as PM 2.5.

In recent months, Brussels residents have come together with Bral and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel to measure the levels of pollution we are exposed to in our daily lives. The project begins with groups of citizens gathering to discuss what we already know about air pollution and what we would like to tell others. From there, we construct research questions based on our collective interests to help focus our data collection. We consider differences in the places we occupy, the routes we take to travel between these spaces, and our modes of transportation.

As participants in the program, the two aforementioned residents, together with a few other concerned members of their community, decide to measure exposure during their commute to and from work using either the tram or bike. With their research question and protocol constructed, members of their neighborhood set out each morning with their Airbeam sensors recording. The sensor is connected to a mobile application, which allows them to see PM 2.5 levels in real time and to record these levels along the journeys they take. Data is uploaded to an online, open-source server, meaning the data collected and uploaded by all Airbeam users are free to use by the public. Because data are recorded with GPS, they are able to visualize and compare their routes on maps.

While the measurements themselves are import, the key to this project is collective learning and action. Citizens work with associations and academia to take on the role of expert and scientist in order to conduct their own experiments and data collection, and to share stories of their experiences. This model is often referred to as citizen science or participatory learning and has been embraced in recent years as a way to empower citizens to analyze, understand, and ultimately change their environments. With the knowledge gained, participants in this campaign are encouraged to take action to tackle the problems that are made apparent through the air quality measurement campaign. Examples of actions may involve showing findings to local politicians, educating our neighbors and engaging them in the campaign, or staging a public awareness demonstration.

Following their own measurement campaign, the group of residents who have now well-documented their commutes to and from work decide to host a neighborhood gathering. They present their results to their neighbors and encourage them to raise concerns at the municipal meeting the following week.

This air quality measurement project allows us to take air quality measurement into our own hands to drive citizen-led calls for clean air. It is time for us all to take on active roles in our movement for a better, healthier, cleaner city. If you would like to get involved and become a citizen scientist, contact Tim Cassiers (tim[a]bral.brussels) or Liévin Chemin (lievin[a]bral.brussels).

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Did you know that BRAL has a useful #BralBib? We are happy to introduce the library to you by putting a book or a file from our archive in the spotlight. This time we're talking about "Sharing cities. Activating the Urban Commons", a practical guide to common solutions to urban problems.

Sharing cities

We start with "Sharing cities. Activating the Urban Commons", presented by Adrien Labaye of Shareable. Adrien is co-author of the book, and he also maps alternative economies for the collective TransforMap.

The book offers an alternative story for sharing in cities based on the urban commons. It contains more than 100 case studies and policy measures on shared use from more than 80 cities in 35 countries. City councils and activists can use this practical guide to devise community-based solutions to urban challenges. Adrien can explain it better. We'll let him speak in the video below (in French with Dutch subtitles).

You can not only download the book for free. You can also find it in our #BralBib.

#BralBib?

In our #BralBib, we have books on the environment, mobility, housing, urban planning and much more. In addition, we also have an archive of urban files since 1973.

Did you know that you can use our library? Yes!

The library is open during office hours and closed on public holidays. Welcome!

BRAL, les Casseuses de Crise, PaletActif, Buurtpensioen 1000 Brussel, Corvia & Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles invite you to the public premiere of 4 participative short films: Selfcity, citizens' initiatives create well-being.

Everywhere in Brussels, people come together to make life in the city more pleasant and sustainable. They help each other, create or repair objects, create services or manage goods or places that are accessible to the public. In this way, they offer an alternative to an economy where over-consumption and the collection of property are the norm. At the initiative of BRAL, 4 urban collectives (Corvia, Les Casseuses de Crise, PaletActif, Buurtpensioen 1000 BXL)  have filmed their parcours. The screening of the 4 short films is followed by a conversation.

The 4 films have been recorded in French, without subtitles.

Corvia

  • Participatory film directed by Joachin Guzman and Aurélia Pfend - 6 minutes - 2018 - BRAL - CVB
  • An open fridge 24/7.
  • An open wardrobe 2 times a week.
  • Not monetary transactions, but care and participation.

Buurtpensioen 1000 BXL -  Pens(i)ons quartier - community pension

  • Participatory film directed by Aurélia Pfend - 5 minutes - 2018 - BRAL - CVB
  • S such as Senior, but above all as 'Service et Solidarité'.
  • Entraided with a heart for the neighbors.

PaletActif

  • Participatory film directed by Manuel Hanot - 6 minutes - 2018 - BRAL - CVB
  • Commitment, solidarity, reup & sharing, horizontality, realistic dreams ... Actors of change!
  • A free furniture workshop, open to everyone, founded by sans-papiers.

Les Casseuses de Crise

  • Participatory film directed by Aurélia Pfend - 6 minutes - 2018 - BRAL - CVB
  • An alternative to a patriarchal, racist and capitalist system. A place for freedom and solidarity for women.

Dialogues and humanities/meetings in the park / EXCHANGES TO CHANGE THE WORLD

  • SATURDAY 30 JUNE
  • At 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. 
  • At Josaphat Park in Brussels
  • Location: La Laiterie