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2016
100

The Tivoli sustainable neighbourhood: a new way of building the city inBrussels?

Notes de la rédaction

This is the press release related to the article from Arnaud Bilande, Cynthia Dal, Ludivine Damay, Florence Delmotte, Julie Neuwels, Christine Schaut and Anne-Laure Wibrin, published on June 13, 2016. Read the article.

In Brussels and elsewhere, the reference to sustainable development has made its way in public policies, in particular as regards urbanism. With its 400 housing units, its park and an economic centre dedicated to 'green' companies, the 'Tivoli' project – the first sustainable neighbourhood – is, in this respect, one of the most ambitious projects developed by the Region.

The Tivoli project – named after a street in a dense working-class neighbourhood in lower Laeken marked by its industrial history – is located at a former storage site. The neighbourhood is situated in the northwest of the Brussels-Capital Region in the canal area, considered by institutional and economic stakeholders as one of the strategic areas – and even the most strategic – as regards the socioeconomic restructuring of the Region. Two of the three plots at the site were purchased in the mid 2000s by SDRB (Société de Développement pour la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, recently renamed Citydev.Brussels), a public pararegional institution devoted to economic expansion, urban renewal and the elaboration of mixed projects. In 2008, after many twists and turns, SDRB asked the MSA architecture and urbanism firm to elaborate a master plan followed by a subdivision permit, which saw the light of day in 2011. Among others, it foresees semi-open blocks, housing and community facilities, as well as roads crossing and structuring the site. At the same time, on one of the three plots, Greenbizz – a green business incubator – was created.

In 2012, researchers in the fields of sociology, political science, architecture and urbanism from Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles (USL-B), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) benefited from this experiment to study it in vivo. They worked with associations such as Periferia – in charge of participation in the Tivoli project – to create the group 'Quartiers durables' in February 2013. The 100th issue of Brussels Studies presents some of theirobservations.

Their analysis focuses on four themes. The first part questions the role of stakeholders, the uses of the notions of sustainability and governance and the methods of reorganisation of public action. The second part focuses on participation in Tivoli. The third part examines the nature of connections between architectural production and the model of the sustainable city, based on the housing project specifications. Finally, the last part focuses on the uses and methods of appropriation by the inhabitants of two other projects in Brussels.

This examination of the building process of the Tivoli sustainable neighbourhood shows that the introduction of the reference of sustainability indisputably brings about an evolution, as though the legitimacy of sustainability has favoured a certain consensus. This reference facilitates the introduction of participative procedures. Citydev was hardly in the habit of doing so. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to consolidate the practices of participation, especially when the aims are ambitious: social cohesion, raising awareness about sustainability, old and new inhabitants living together in harmony, the integration of 'green' companies in the neighbourhood, etc. The most consensual aspects for the experts are still the technical and architectural aspects of sustainability. But these are also the least well understood by the 'ordinary' participants, who are more concerned about mobility and the accessibility of the future neighbourhood. Furthermore, participation is often hardly linked to major decisions, such as the choice of development team or project aesthetics. 

Since October 2014 and the finalisation of the work of the researchers, a great deal has happened with the Tivoli project. This article must therefore be considered as a snapshot of a particular project at a given moment. Nevertheless, this picture reveals methods of action and more general approaches. Their observations are therefore a sensitive and critical way of questioning the methods of building the contemporary city at a time when population growth is causing an increase in the number of residential real estate projects in Brussels.

N.B.: This 100th issue is actually the 116th article published by Brussels Studies, as sixteen ‘synopses’ were published at the beginning of 2009 as special issues accompanying the process of the Citizens’ Forum of Brussels. We shall soon celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journal with our readers and those who are actively involved in this editorial project. We shall be in touch with you on this occasion.

References
Bilande, Arnaud, Dal, Cynthia, Damay, Ludivine, Delmotte, Florence, Neuwels, Julie, Schaut, Christine and Wibrin, Anne-Laure,, “The Tivoli sustainable neighbourhood: a new way of building the city inBrussels?”, Brussels Studies [Online], General collection, No 100, 13 June 2016 URL: https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1360
Contact
Benjamin Wayens, Senior Editor: bwayens[at]brusselsstudies.be

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