Density in discussion: a master class for exploring new paths together

Professionals, students, local actors, come and explore new paths for density in the Brussels-Capital Region!

How can we reconcile urban density and the quality of life? Responsible for the implementation of the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, perspective.brussels intends to broaden the debate about urban density by integrating all its dimensions. This is why Perspective is organising a master class in situ from 22 to 29 October 2020. 

The debate about density seems to be locked between figures, forms, injunctions and resistance. In order to open up the debates, students, researchers, local actors, professional circles and associations interested in urban development will be brought together to reflect upon the qualitative conditions of urban densification and to formulate answers to the short and long term challenges which Brussels is facing in this field.

The master class will be supervised by Jérôme Baratier, urban planner and Director of the urban planning agency of the Tours agglomeration. He is also an affiliated professor at the urban school of Sciences Po Paris where he designs and organises international collaborative workshops.

Join the forty or so participants accompanied by a high-level team to take part in this collective research-action for 8 days. Find out more about the master class: how to participate and how the 8 days will be spent.

In the meantime, read the interview with Jérôme Baratier and Perspective in Le Soir (online edition, PDF edition).

The master class is the second event in the year-long study concerning the issue of urban density, which is part of the follow-up mission of the PRDD entitled projecting.brussels.

The current recommendations and rules related to COVID-19 unfortunately do not allow us to ensure the optimal conditions for organising the master class about density, so this event will be rescheduled. We are nonetheless planning to organise webinars: read more (FR)

Small, medium, large: 3 scales for density

At the round table on 28 November 2019, three video capsules were produced. The Brussels actors (public, private and associative) and the international experts (Amsterdam, Boston and Vienna) who took part in the round table illustrate the concept of density according to three scales of the city: Small, Medium and Large.

• Small : mobilise the smallest scale in order to work on the quality of life in blocks and neighbourhoods
• Medium : meet the needs of residents and users who live in and move about in the city
• Large : a comprehensive vision of density on the scale of the metropolis and its periphery

Study in progress with regard to the metropolitan area

In addition, perspective.brussels is involved in targeted discussions with the Flemish Region, the BMA and the Flemish Government Architect regarding the outskirts of Brussels and the neighbouring municipalities.

The ongoing study on the network of open spaces between Brussels and its periphery, "OPEN Brussels", for example, emphasises the importance of the landscape structure in the city. By the end of 2021, this analysis will define a vision and develop a series of specific projects and actions for sites in the north of Brussels (Noordrand). More info (FR).