'In-between spaces/places' Summer School

Table of contents

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(13-17 . 09 . 2021)

Exploring the potential of

in-between spaces/places

Summer School

Brussels Research OpenLAB

for promoting processes of

Collaborative City-Making

Table of contents

Friday Sep 17th

Monday Sep 13th

Tuesdsday Sep 14th

Practical information

Wednesday Sep 15th

Thursday Sep 16th

About the project, location

Contact

info.cerl@vub.be

Keynote, Group sessions, Creative space

Field trips, Keynote, Group sessions, Creative space

Field trips, Keynote, Group sessions, Networking dinner

Group sessions, Creative space

Group sessions, Sharing/Connecting, Celebration

Click on each title to get directed to related pages.

Practical Information

About the project

Location

Can we use this moment of transitioning from a pre-pandemic into a post-pandemic society for working towards a more desirable urban future? What is the potential of in-between spaces/places within this regards? Boundary zones, spaces in transition, places that are not (yet) defined, are in a state of becoming, yet to be built. Spaces where different dimensions, people, functions, activities co-exist and relate to one another, interact with one another. Can they help shape processes of collaborative city-making?

These are the questions that will run through this summer school. Participants will be involved in field trips, discussions, key-note lectures, co-creation ateliers and will explore the potential of in-between spaces to cope with pressing urban challenges in a collaborative manner. With this event, we aim to pave the way for a future Brussels Research Open Lab on the USquare-site, a joint ULB/VUB initiative aiming to connect academia and civil society through processes of collaborative research, engaged learning and action, in line with the weKONEKT.brussels philosophy.

Click on the sign on map to get directed to google map link

Who needs to be involved in such processes? What kind of methods should they build upon? What frictions, dilemma’s and obstacles should one expect to encounter? How can or should these frictions be dealt with? What ethical considerations need to be taken into account? What kind of equipment, competencies and financial resources do such processes require?

Download the programme here.

A methamorphosis for non-used buildings and spaces.

Temporary use is has-been. What's next?

How democratic education forms an enhanced future?

Transformation, friction and disruption

Walking in between the physical and the digital city

The importance of data literacy, engagement and protection.

Ine Van Zeeland & Jonas Breuer

Antoine Dutrieu

Ronald Crouze

Keynote & World Cafe

Exploring in-between spaces/places

Click below each lecture to watch the related video of the lecturer.

Click to see a glimpse of the conversations during this activity.

Group Activities

"Maps lie because they don't trigger the inequalities within states" -Brecht-

Navigating the history, present and future of the See-U site

Sino Kanobana, Brecht Van Der Scheuren

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Comparison between the Forest Metabolism and Urban Metabolism, resulting in guiding questions exploring ways to work towards a healthy - desirable urban metabolism.

Sketching a canvas for exploring the Urban Metabolism

Linde Moriau, Francisco Davilla, Gregoire Wallenborn

Group 2: A City in Transformation

Discussion on urban renovation by analyzing the campus 1030 (original project promoted by Renovas). The aim of this project is to improve social cohesion in the neighborhood by including students through integrated educational approach.

Creation of the first integrated bilingual inclusive campus in the heart of the North Brabant district in Schaerbeek, CAMPUS 1030

Etienne Toffin, Lien Mostmans, Annelies Kums

Group 3: The Participatory City

During the first participatory session on Monday the groups searched for a shared understanding of concepts such as decolonisation/post-colonisation.

How does the Metabolism of the city works and how we can change it for the better?

Sharing/Connecting

Somatic exercises which promote self-expression, focus, creativity and laughter for example:

This collaborative program included activties such as:

Collective sharing moments, where participants from all groups exchanged knowledge, thoughts and ideas with each other

Changing the seat of the participants as a metaphor of the personal changes based on today's gained knowledge.

“There is something we all have in common here – is this what an in-between space is like?” -Silvia-

Creative writing workshop : 6 minutes non-stop writing “Dear Summer School”.

using 'input' as the keword of the day

"Different activities, in some sort of ice-breaker mode, quite unformal and creative exercises"

Session holder: Rebeca Lopez

Located on the site of the former Fritz Toussaint gendarmerie barracks in Ixelles, See U aims to open the doors of this historic place to Brussels residents and to revitalize this site, which has been closed to the public for more than a century.

See U is a friendly place that will appeal to the whole family!

Activities for children;

Sporting activities ;

Organic market;

Cultural events ;

Guinguette ...

+Info

For more information about See-U site or to become a member of See-U please visit the website :

https://www.see-u.brussels/

Guided tour of See-U site

Creative Space

Cassio Lopes

Photo Album of the Day

12:30-14:00

Keynote & World Cafe

+ info

16:30-17:30

Sharing- Connecting

+ info

Field Trips

+ info

9:30-11:30

18:30-20:30

14:30-16:00

Field trips (Creative space)

Group Session/ Futuring Lab

+ info

1 2 3

1 2

Tuesday September 14th Program

Field trip locations

Click on the sign for each field trip to have the adress on google map.

Click on +info to have more information about each activity.

Decolonising the city with Collingwoode Williams, Fien Criel, Kate Meier & Willeke Bert

'SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.1'

Field trip 1: Minority Walk with Omar Fassi Fehri

Field trip 2: Who Feeds the City Tour with Atelier Groot Eiland

Field trip 3: Temporary Occupation sites

Group 1:Exploring and mapping (in) visible barriers at the U-Square-site

Building A, room1.2

Group 2:Affordable and circular housing Workshop

Building A, room1.5

Group 3:Public libraries, major actors in the connection with nature in the city

Building A, room1.6

Group4:Futuring Lab with BrusselAVenir

Building A, room1.7

Field trip 1: Visite Decoloniale du Solbosh-ULB

Field trip 2: Changing your experience of nature in the city. Naviguer en Terre agitée

Bar Talks

Every place tells a story. And the history of minorities in the public space has often been invisible, 'forgotten' in the public debate.

A walk to explore the representation of minority groups througout traces in the city center, Murals, statues and cathedrals.

2. Who Feeds the City

(Omar Fassi Fehri)

1.Moniroty Walk

(Maarten Dyrickx, Atelier Groot Eiland)

An introductory trip to the vision and mission of Atelier Groot Eiland, which helps fight urban poverty by offering tailor-made work experiences and job coaching for NEET groups (No Education Employment and Training).

Exploring ways to forge targetted collaboration between citizens and farmers by using Community Shared Agriculture (CSA)

Why occupy empty buildings?

In this activity Communa shows that

other ways of living, thinking and organising the city are possible.

"Maxima. A temporary utopia that wants to re-create sense of community in Saint Antoine, Forest."

(Margaud Antoine-Fabry, Communa-Maxima)

3.Temporary Occupation sites

Field Trips

For whom are cities built for?

Big city life: we try forget bye.

"For as long as it takes longer to get to the same location as non-disabled people for how the city is designed, there is inequality"

Crippling accessibility into the city

Bridging or Breaching? Citizen participation and private urban development

Role of diverse actors in the development of 'caring' neighborhoods.

Kate Meier & Wileke Bert

Stephanie Collingwoode Williams

Fien Criel

Keynote & World Cafe

Decolonising the city

Click below each lecture to watch the related video of the lecturer.

Click to see a glimpse of the conversations during this activity.

Group Activities

Diving into the streets of Brussels to excavate the history of minorities in public space – a history that all too often remains invisible.

Exploring and mapping (in) visible barriers at the See-U site

Brecht Van Der Scheuren, Wine Everaert, Sofie Herbouck

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Focusing on reuse, repair and maintenance of source materials as well as buildings.

Affordable and circular housing Workshop

Margaux Lespagnard

Group 2: A City in Transformation

After the presentation of various reinvented libraries, some activities that occured within Bibliotheque Herge (Etterbeek) to reconnect people with the nature were presented.

Public libraries, major actors in the connection with nature in the city

Anita Van Belle, Daniel de Loneux

Group 3: The Participatory City

"We are more disable by the society then by the body we live in" -Stella Young -

how can we find synergies between these upcoming housing alternatives and circular housing?

Tram Design

(Khushboo Balwani, Ellen Anthoni)

Futuring Lab

After a full day of divers activities, this session focused on creating spaces for imagine a file-rouge between the partecipants.

An hour of different games, laugh and relaxation.

Sharing / Connecting moment

Group Activities

Sharing/Connecting

(Rebeca Lopez)

A moment to Reflect

“how will we share the city amongst each other in 2030?”

A creative discussion about an utopistic Brussels 2030 mobility plan. A tram with 6pm aperos? music? free of charges? why not!

At the end of the day, inclusion is key.

We need to deconstruct the propaganda of colonasition. The colonizers did not find an uncivilized society, they created the idea of the Sauvage to fit their economic interest. That's why this walk is so important. To deconstruct, to learn and unlearn.

Creative Space

(Zoé Vandermeeren, Audrey Villance )

1.Visite Decoloniale du Solbosh-ULB

2.Changing your experience of nature in the city. Naviguer en Terre agitée

(Virginie Lambert )

Nature is everywhere, even in the middle of the city. Together we embarked on a meditative walk through the city, searching for green in in streets - and in ourselves.

Photo Album of the Day

What are the key-drivers of urban transformation?

How can universities and civil society collaborate in such processes?

12:30-14:00

Keynote & World Cafe

+ info

16:30-17:30

Sharing- Connecting

+ info

Field Trips

+ info

9:30-11:30

14:30-16:00

18:30-20:30

Group Session/ Futuring Lab

Networking Dinner

+ info

1 2 3

Wednesday September 15th Program

Field trip locations

Click on the sign for each field trip to have the adress on google map.

Click on +info to have more information about each activity.

'Collaborative City-making' :Sofie Smetcoren & Sarah Dury, Jef Van Laer & Annelies Duerinckx

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.1

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.2

Field trip 1: Visite Decoloniale du Solbosh-ULB

Field trip 2: Exploring smart places and spaces

Field trip 3: Temporary occupation with or by youngsters Bike Tour. Citéde la Jeunesse

Group 1: Introduction to the methods and issues of sound data collection, SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.2

Group 2: Exploring dilemma's and contradictions between social and environmental agenda's at neighborhood-level, SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.5

Group 3: Bowl Conference: Temporary Occupation with or by youngsters, SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.6

Group4: Futuring Lab with BrusselAVenir, SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.7

SeeU-site

The colonial history and present of the ULB Solbosch campus by listening to the podcast 'visite décoloniale de l’ULB'. A thought provoking walk that stimulates critical action.

2. Exploring smart places and spaces

(Zoé Vandermeeren, Audrey Villance )

1.Visite Decoloniale du Solbosh-ULB

(Jonas Breuer, Ine Van Zeeland)

What do cameras address? Actual security or feelings? -Jonas-

An exploration of the city by Bike and analysing sites such as: Manhattan Plan site, Koningin-Groen Park, Stephenson Garden, and Cité de la Jeunesse.

(Matthias Cox)

3. Temporary occupation with or by youngsters Bike Tour. Citéde la Jeunesse

Field Trips

A “smart city talk” that happened somewhere between the digital and the physical and therefore an in-between space, answering to the questions such as: is it possible to make oneself invisble in the city?

Challenges for co-constructing comunities in research practices?

Collaboration of today, inclusive cities of tomorrow.

Citizen science as a solution for local issues

Focusing on three main aspects in citizen science: scientific research, education, empowerment.

An Sofie Smetcorn & Sarah Dury

Keynote & World Cafe

Collaborative City-Making

Jef Van Laer & Annelies Duerinckx

Click below each lecture to watch the related video of the lecturer.

Click to see a glimpse of the conversations during this activity.

Group Activities

Bruxelles nous appartient/Brussel behoort ons toe (BNA/BBOT) presented how they use soundscaping as method to capture non-conventional voices and construct another potential history of the city.

Introduction to the methods and issues of sound data collection

Ruby Bernabeu-Plous, Severine Janssen, Flavien Gillie

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Exploring dilemma's and contradictions between social and environmental agenda's at neighborhood-level

Paul Hermant & Gregoire Wallenborn

Group 2: A City in Transformation

Bowl Conference: Temporary Occupation with or by youngsters

Matthias Cox

Group 3: The Participatory City

"Climate justice should be worked towards at different scales: Family, Street, Neighborhood , City, Region, ... " -Vitalya-

"There is a grey zone between partecipation and actual action. How to prevent for fake participation?” -Mathias-

Experience design

(Khushboo Balwani, Ellen Anthoni)

Futuring Lab

In continuation of prevoius sharing/connecting sessions, the importance of sharing feeling, thoughts and giving a moment to ourself to reflect on what can happened during a day of our life has been mentioned today.

Sharing / Connecting moment

Group Activities

Sharing/Connecting

(Rebeca Lopez)

A moment to Reflect

Question will remain: how will we share the city amongst each other in 2030?

Discussion on topics such as: Future of entertainment and street performances/experience of different stops and time of the day/ interaction

with different neighbourhoods/ subjective maps and security.

Networking Dinner

An eneving full of collaboration, communication and tasty food provided by Atelier Groot Eiland members.

Photo Album of the Day

12:30-14:00

Keynote & World Cafe

+ info

16:30-17:30

Sharing- Connecting

+ info

Group sessions

+ info

9:30-11:30

14:30-16:00

18:30-20:30

Forum Theatre

Group Session/ Futuring Lab

+ info

Thursday September 16th Program

Click on +info to have more information about each activity.

'Cities in Transition':Gregoire Wallenborn, Hari Verlaet, Mia Schmallenbach

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.1

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.2

Group.1: In situ data collection with BNA/BBOT

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.2

Group.2: Can we leverage emerging tensions into transformation opportunities?

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.5

Group.3: Who is seen, listened to or included in participatory projects?

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.6

Group.1: In situ data collection with BNA/BBOT

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.2

Group.2: E-commerce giants and small shops

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.5

Group.3: Setting-up a shared governance model with FabLab ULB

SeeU-site / Building G, FabLab ULB

Group4: Futuring Lab with BrusselAVenir

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.7

Vaartkapoen

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.1

Group Activities-Morning

In situ data collection with BNA/BBOT.

Ruby Bernabeu-Plous, Severine Janssen, Brecht Van Der Schueren, Flavien Gillie

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Exploring and contesting (im)material heritage at the USquare site using soundscaping methods.

Can we leverage emerging tensions into transformation opportunities?

Vitalija Povilaityte-Petri

Group 2: A City in Transformation

How can we build a caring community together with neighbourhood users?

Focusing on a co-create approach.

Who is seen, listened to or included in participatory projects?

Slyvia Hoens, Mia Laermans, Octavia Kint

Group 3: The Participatory City

Is education happening in the in-between spaces? At school, at home, on the street, in the tram, in the garden, experiencing things,…

A conversation to explore our own ties with the subject: Community and corporate? Tensions? Medicine? Countryside?

“People who works in the scientific world sometimes think that they have the solution in their pocket, based on their theoretical findings. But Often, the local population know much more .”

What is an energy community?

Energy communities: making neighbors collaborate around tough issues

Children and youngsters as key-stakeholders for driving urban transitions.

Youngsters as transformative agents?

ValueBugs: closing ecological cycles through circular urban hubs

Multiplying hubs, enhancing lifestyles.

Mia Schmallenbach

Gregoire Wallenborn

Hari Verlaet

Keynote & World Cafe

Cities in Transition

Click below each lecture to watch the related video of the lecturer.

Click to see a glimpse of the conversations during this activity.

Group Activities-Afternoon

In situ data collection with BNA/BBOT

Ruby Bernabeu-Plous, Severine Janssen, Brecht Van Der Schueren, Flavien Gillie

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Avenues for a more sustainable retail scene in Brussels

E-commerce giants and small shops

Ela Callorda Fossati, Aurore Fransolet, Solène Sureau

Group 1: A City in Transformation

An exploratory workshop about the facilities of ULB FabLab and it's contiution as a third-space

Setting-up a shared governance model with FabLab ULB

Julien Cabay, Alain Delchambre, Denis Terwagne

Group 3: The Participatory City

In continuation of morning session, Group 1 divided in 3 subgroups in order to: 1.interview Albert a WWll bombardemant survivor

2.interview temporary inhabitants of SeeU site

3.Sounscaping the SeeU site

"If we don’t manage to reach the climate target it’s because we don’t manage to shut things down" -Emma-

Stories, conversations and ambience

(Khushboo Balwani, Ellen Anthoni)

Futuring Lab

Today in sharing/connecting activity various games has been played y participants to reflect on our bodies, our feelings and our minds. One of these games were letter games focusing on the letters of the word 'Tension'.

Sharing / Connecting moment

Group Activities

Sharing/Connecting

(Rebeca Lopez)

A moment to Reflect

How images of the future now influence our future?

In continuation of Brussels in 2030 scenarios, today's workshop focussed on role playing. Particpants played a role of hypothetical characters to imagine the Brussel's city life in 2030.

Too triggered with tenderness

Endless

Noises, but nevertheless

Similar situations suiting

Internal excess

Outreach, onwards to

New tensionness

(Written by one of the participants for the letter-poem game)

Forum Theatre

A co-creation between the women of the Vaartkapoen, Citizenne-Avansa and director Har Tortike.

Creative Space

Photo Album of the Day

13:30-15:30

Sharing- Connecting

+ info

15:30-....

9:30-12:30

Group Session/ Futuring Lab

Final Celebration

+ info

Friday September 17th Program

Click on +info to have more information about each activity.

An overview of the accomplishments of all groups

SeeU-site, Building A, All rooms

Sharing/Connecting moment with Rebeca

SeeU-site, Building L, room 0.2

Group.1: In situ data collection with BNA/BBOT

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.2

Group.2: Formulating future ambitions 'Rethinking hidden resources flow'

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room1.5

Group.3: Formulating future ambitions 'Rethinking participatory (research) spaces'

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.6

Group4: Futuring Lab with BrusselAVenir

SeeU-site outdoor / Building A, room 1.7

SeeU-site KomChéTaMère

Group Activities

Friday for all groups served to collect and harmonise different impressions and collectively formulate some conclusions and action points.

A reflection on the data collection process deployed during the summer school and its potential for the future with BNA/BBOT.

Ruby Bernabeu-Plous, Severine Janssen, Brecht Van Der Schueren, Flavien Gillie

Group 1: The Post-Colonial City

Formulating future ambitions 'Rethinking hidden resources flow'

Linde Moriau, Francisco Davilla, Gregoire Wallenborn

Group 2: A City in Transformation

Formulating future ambitions 'Rethinking participatory (research) spaces'

Gabriel Spinnler, Etienne Toffin

Group 3: The Participatory City

Final sessions to answer the questions asked during the week and to raise new questions. What will be the next step?

Artefacts crafting

(Khushboo Balwani, Ellen Anthoni)

Futuring Lab

Group Activities

In order to share we need to adapt, adjust and tolerate. -Khushboo-

The final session of Futuring Lab group was dedicated to modeling objects and ideas mentioned during the week. At the end of the session the participants presented the 3D cardboard model of futuristic objects created based on their imagination. The focus of this session similar to previous workshops was to asnwer the question: Hpw will we share the city amongst each other in russels 2030?

Sharing/Connecting

Secondly, Somatic exercises which promote self-expression, focus, creativity and laughter has been continued with Rebeca: the last exersice to express such feelings was to write down thoughts and emotions inside the drawings that has been made as a group.

Final Sharing/Connecting session consisted of 2 parts:

Firstly the achievement of all groups has been shared amongst all participants. Activities such as observing graphical visualization, listening to the interviews recorded during the week, and other type of collaborative actions has been done in this part.

A moment to Reflect

How can third-spaces help us work towards a more desirable urban future?

What frictions, dilemma’s and obstacles should one expect to encounter and how should those be dealt with?

Final Celebration

A week full of perspective sharing and engaged meaning making...

What a joy! A huge thank you to all participants.

'In-between spaces/places' Summer School

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