recl/fr)a(i)ming the voids of laag-molenbeek and cureghem

7/22/2019 Recl/fr)a(i)ming the Voids of Laag-Molenbeek and Cureghem

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RE !NG THE VOIDSof Laag-Molenbeek and Cureghem

Evelyne Vanhoutte

claimf rame


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Recl/fr)a(i)ming the Voids of Laag-Molenbeek and Cureghem

Evelyne Vanhoutte

Thesis submitted to obtain the degree

European Postgraduate Masters in Urbanism [EMU]

Academic year: 2010-2011

Thesis advisor: Prof. Bruno De Meulder

Urbanisms & Inclusions 1: Sint-Jans-Molenbeek/Brussels

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Faculty of Engineering

Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning [ASRO]

Permission for Use of Content:

The author herewith permits that the present dissertation be made

available for consultation; parts of it may be copied, strictly for personal

use. Every other use is subject to strict copyright reservations. Particular

reference is made to the obligation of explicitly mentioning the source

when quoting the present dissertations results.

Leuven, 2011


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1

RE !NG THE VOIDSof Laag-Molenbeek and Cureghem

claimf rame


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On path dependencies and dualities

Vacancy and the Commonsa common framework for inclusion

The obsolete low city

space, much wasted

The lacking low cityspace, much needed

CONTENTS

NATURES OF BRUSSELS

mapping the (social) landscape

IMAG(INARI)ES

cataloguing the void


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PROJECT XS

participe futur

PROJECT XL

maison des mresecolan

RECLA!M!NG | REFRAMING THE VOIDS

of Laag-Molenbeek and Cureghem


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NATURES OF BRUSSELS

mapping the (social) landscape

1: on path dependencies and dualities

2: vacancy and the Commons


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E 19

E 19

E 40

I I

Senne

Maalbeek

Woluwe

ABC

canal

I I

*landscape urbanism:a theory of urbanism arguingthat

landscape is more competent than architecture to

organise cities and urban environments. The term wascoined by Charles Waldheim and elaborated on in his2006 book "The Landscape Urbanism Reader".

** urbanisms of inclusion:a theory of urbanism usingthe lens of social inclusion to address contemporaryterritorial and socio-ecological issues such as unevendevelopment or gentrification. According to BrianMcGrath, professor of urban design at Parsons TheNew School of Design, it is not a strict method but rathera framework of thought* that invites designers to include

every conceivable aspect of an urban environment toguide their design intervention. (from an interview withBrian McGrath on May 18, 2011).

*** urban design: a term describing the arrangementand organisation of urban environments, in particularurban public space.

**** The Commons:a term referring to resources thatpeople collectively own or share (inclusing private as

well as public property). Originally, the term referredto the common use of natural resources or land. In abroader sense, it can refer to anything from resources tosoftware or even ideas.

Natures of Brussels: on path dependencies and dualities

[ water city, forest city ]

[ iron city, park city ]

[ dense city, vacant city ]

FOREST CITY / PARK CITY WATER CITY / IRON CITY


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7

introduction //This thesis essay aims to link the by now familiar landscapeurbanism* approach with the much newer urbanismsof inclusion** approach, which focusses primarily onthe social dimension of urban design interventions***.However, these two perspectives with a seemingly verydifferent focus are not necessarily incompatible. UsingBrussels as a case study, this paper investigates howthese two approaches can be merged in order to framedesign interventions in ethnically diverse Sint-Jans-Molenbeek.

The first part of this paper -- or rather, narrative --researches the historical exploitation of the physicallandscape of Brussels to provide an interpretation ofits current social landscape. The story is structuredaround three dualities in the physical environment:water and forest the natural elements that structuredthe initial development of Brussels; railway and parksystems the 19th century 'modernisation' of these tworespective elements; and the dense and the vacant city the consequences of this modernisation in present-dayBrussels.

Simultaneously, the story tries to trace within eachduality where and how its elements coincide with socialdisparities. A very useful tool to trace these discrepanciesis the concept of the Commons**** originally understoodas communal use of natural resources, 'Commons' mayalso be extended to the communal use of public facilitiesin general. The materiality of the Commons in this sensechanges remarkably in Brussels throughout space and time,and proves a helpful concept for mapping the sociallandscape of the city.

Based on this reading of the social landscape, the secondpart of this paper provides a framework for interpretationof the projects of the students who've participated in thisthesis-studio.

This framework is based on a more detailed reading ofthe project area (in terms of accessibility and social

characteristics). The central theme of Commonsreappears as a conceptual link for all of the studentprojects.


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BRUSSELS

1 : Parallel valley systemsrunning north-south

2 : The three valley regions:the Dender, Senne andDyle valleys

3 : The powerful forest:

the Sonian Forest in 1659,with the location of reli-

gious and civil institutionsthroughout the Middle

Ages

+ civil power+religious power

4 : The three valley regionsof BrusselsBrussels settlements

along the rivers Senne,

Maalbeek and Woluwe

[1]

[2]


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9

Woluwe

Maalbeek

Senne

I I I

Senne

Maalb

eek

Woluwe

ABC

canal

water city, forest city // a tale on an XL scale.Brussels can be regarded as an element within a parallelnorth-south oriented valley system, consisting of smalltributaries of the river Scheldt. Located in the Sennevalley, Brussels is flanked by the Dender valley in the westand the Dyle valley in the east, the same rivers that inRoman times also delimited the ancient Silva Carbonariaor 'charcoal forest' up to the early Middle Ages, whenit was largely cut down to serve as fuel (Pierron, 1935).Loose patches of the ancient forest remained howeverhere and there, such as the Sonian Forest just southeastof Brussels.

Settlements emerged mainly along those river valleys,and in the present-day Brussels Region, the same patternoccurs on a smaller scale: density, or the dense city, islocated on the banks of the parallel rivers Senne, Maalbeekand Woluwe (de Ferraris, 1771-1778). But apart from thesettlement pattern, do they develop in parallel ways?

water city, forest city // the tale on a smallerscale.The myth of how Brussels originated is a tale of threepowers: economic power (the island of Saint-Grys,where the city's market was located at the intersection ofthe river Senne with the ancient paved road and trade axisconnecting Germany to the North Sea); religious power(the catholic collegiate church dedicated to St. Michaeland St. Gudula, Brussels' patron saints); and civil power(the Coudenberg castle, erected at the end of the 12thcentury and home to successive rulers of the Province ofBrabant for the next six centuries).

[3]

[4]


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I I

Senn

e

Maalbeek

Woluwe

ABC

canal

I I

5 : The Water Citywater as the Commons

of the low city

+churches

6 : the Iron Cityfollowing topo-

graphic depressions

7 : (right page, above)High city Lowcitytopographical un-

derstanding of theville-basse or lowcity and the ville-hauteor high city,

Saint Gry (black)Cathedral and

Coudenberghcastle (white)

[5]

[6]


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11

ville-basse"low city"

"high city"

ville-haute

I I I

E 19

E 19

E 40

I I I

The west of Brussels, the island of Saint-Gry, was aswampy area, where mainly merchants and peasantssettled down. Water was important not only because theriver Senne was a major transportation route to Antwerp.The vicinity of waterways also provided opportunities formilling and related industries. Interestingly, the urban

water infrastructure also played an important role in theinformal food industry. Still water ponds were created alittle off the river beds or below the western fortificationwalls, and became shared reservoirs for fish breedingand domestic use (Deligne, 2005). They were, in otherwords, the Commons of the low city.

More important institutions such as the Coudenberg

castle and the church of St. Michael and St. Gudulasettled on the eastern bank of the Senne river, a littlehigher up and out of the inundation zone.

Even further east, the Sonian Forest and its surroundingswere home to the nobility, their hunting grounds, theirexquisite castles and sumptuous second homes. Theotherwise common natural resource of the forest was

largely privatised by them, except for where a numberof religious communities were established (BeheerplanZoninwoud, bijlage 1, 2003). Those half a dozen abbeyspositioned themselves somewhere in-between: they weredependent on both religious and civil institutions, butprovided access and services to all. Hence, they couldbe considered a sort of Commons, and again were mostlylocated around constructed pond systems in the forest.

A dual city, with clear power disparities that are relatedto topography and vegetation, emerges from the verybeginning of Brussels' existence. The 18th centuryCommons are, or are located around, water both in thelow city and in the high city.

iron city, park city // The 19th century broughtmany drastic changes to Brussels, on an economic, apolitical and a spatial level. Industrialisation introducesnew technologies into our urban environments, Brusselsbecomes the capital of a new kingdom called Belgiumin 1830, and cities experience an unseen demographicboom (to name just a few).

Of all modern technologies introduced by industrialisation,railway has perhaps brought about the most profoundchanges in our territories. Around the 1830s, theBelgian government starts investing tremendously in thedevelopment of an extensive railway network (Devys,1910), which roughly follows the topographic depressions.The valley structures are being 'modernised' by an ironnetwork paralleling the rivers.

This modernisation also occurs within Brussels. Parallelto the river Senne and the collateral canal, constructed

[7]


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100.000

90.000

80.000

70.000

60.000

50.000

40.000

30.000

20.000

10.000

1810

1820

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

1846

12.000

1906

68.000

2006

82.000

.

100.000

90.000

80.000

70.000

60.000

50.000

40.000

30.000

20.000

10.000

1810

1820

1830

1840

1850

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1 .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

1 .

1

1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1

SINT-JANS-MOLENBEEK

UKKEL

8 : The powerful forestpower and the forestin the 1700s+ civil power+religious power

9 : The rich forestrevenue and the forest today+ administrative power

the Sonian Forest in 1659dark grey: high income areas

light grey: low income areas

10 : Growth rate of the low citydemographic evolution ofSint-Jans-Molenbeek from1810-2010

11 : Comparing the growth rates

in low and high city.demographic evolution of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and Ukkel

from 1810-2010

[8] [10]

[9]

[11]


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The upper class then densifies the high city, which takesplace more gradually and about 50 years later (Censusresults 1810-1970). Rich immigrants settle down in thehigh southeast, preferably buying a piece of the SonianForest, which was at that time entirely acquired by theSocit Gnrale de Belgique (the state-owned company

also exploiting the Brussels tramway lines and the Belgianand colonial energy resources) (Kurgan-van Hentenryk,1996). The SGB enthusiastically parcelled out the forestand sold the lots to the nouveaux riches who eagerlyconverted them into castle domains, villa residences orhippodromes. Other parts are deforested to serve asworld expo sites (Solbosch). From 1822 to 1843, the shortperiod during which the Sonian Forest was property of the

SGB, this practice caused its surface area to be reducedto a mere two fifths (Maziers, 1994).

The 19th century high city is spacious, residential, spreadout, wealthy and green.

in 1832 and connecting Brussels to the coal reserves ofCharleroi (Demey, 2008), a main rail artery emphasisesthe valley structure. Along it, goods stations with largemarshalling yards (Bruxelles-Maritime, the West station)and related industries profit from the newly provideddouble accessibility, and reinforce a physical edge

between uptown and downtown, high city and low city.

Railway lines divide but also access the Brusselsterritory, serving both the residential high city and makingaccessible to labourers the factories along the canal inthe west. A continuous surge in population is mainly dueto immigration, internal and external, for rich and poor(Eggerickx, 1999).

A clear settlement pattern emerges :In the western low city, the abundance of industrial workopportunities attract day labourers, which either traveldaily by rail from their rural homes to the capital, in needof an additional wage as the Flemish agricultural industrycollapsed between 1840-1850 (Debergh, 2006), or settledown in 'beluiken' or 'coures' (very dense, low quality

housing on the inside of an urban block) in the vicinity ofthose industries (Dveloppement de la Commune de M.-S.-J.,n.d.).

The 19th century low city is modern, productive,accessible, compact, dense, poor, and dirty.Geographically, it is clasped between rail and waterinfrastructures. Mentally, it is regarded by the upper class

as a sewer.


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1899

1775 1880

1910

1904

1867

Parc de Laeken

Parc Elisabeth

Parc Josaphat

Parc de Woluwe

Parc Parmentier

Etangs Mellaerts

Parc de Forest

Parc Duden

Bois deLa Cambre

Solbosch

CinquantenaireParc Warande

1905

1862

1912

E 19

E 19

E 40

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12 : the Park City:a chain of landscaped

parks are constructedalong the ring roadbetween 1862-...

13 : tang a Tervueren: bythe lake,The Josaphatvalley in Schaerbeekand The old hornbeamalleyby landscape painterHippolyte Boulenger(early 1870s)

14 : Plan d'ensemblepour l'extension etl'embellissement del'agglomration bruxel-loise.by VictorBesme (1866)

15 : Nouvel plan deBruxelles Industriel byAuguste Verwest (1911)

16 : (following pages)Spatial evolution of theWater City and and theForest CityAnecdotic schemes ex-

plaining the developmentof Brussels

[12] [13]


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By the 1860s, the expanding capital is in need of more,bigger, better infrastructure. Leopold II, Belgium's secondking, commissions Victor Besme as inspecteur voyeror "chief road engineer" in 1859, a position assigninghim to develop a coherent urbanistic plan for GreaterBrussels (Zitouni, 2010). Besme proposes a sequence

of ring roads and boulevards which feature a series ofmega-sports infrastructures (velodromes, hippodromes)and large, landscaped parks (Besme, 1866). Only theeastern part of both road and park structure would beconstructed. Following the example of Frederick LawOlmsted, Leopold II and the nobility 'modernise nature'.Landscape architects are hired and privatised patches offorest are turned into parks for public use.

Both the railway network and the park systems can beseen as a form of 'modernised nature', the former waterand forest structures that experience emerging capitalism.Both attempt to be a Commons, but neither are. The highcity Commons is accessible via a would-be ring road thatdoesn't even connect to the low city but stops halfway.Instead of being a real Commons, the parks emphasise

the initial disparate power relation of high and low city.

[14]

[15]


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Chteau Trois-Fontaines (14th C)

Abbey of Rouge-Clotre (14th C)

Abbey of Valduchesse (13th C)

Chapel of Saint-Gry (580)

Cathedral of Saint-Micheland Saint-Gudule (11th C)

Coudenbergh castle (11th C)

Abbey of La Cambre (1201)

waterways

churches core of origin

Maritime station (1907)

1st North station (1841)

Central station (1952)

Midi station (19??)

Abattoirs (1890)

Luxembourg station (18??)

rail

(former) railway stations

The development of Brusselsf r o m t h e M i d d l e A g e s t o t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y

... now available in a nutshell!

major players of the Middle Ages, up in the trees ...

... driven out by new players...

(with an iron hand!)


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[16]


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6%

9%

9%

7%9%

7%

4%

5%

4%

4%

5%

5%

9%

8%

7%

8%

8%

7%

7%

[1]

[1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] [5]

[6]

[7]

[9]

[10]

[10]

[11]

[12][13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18][19]

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100.000

90.000

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rural

Flemish

immigration

peasants

fam

ine

agriculturecrisis

French

immigrationfranais

ItalySpain

Portugalgreece

MoroccoTurkeyAlgeriaTu

n

isia

EasternEurope

17 : The Vacant Citypercentage of vacant buildingsper municipality

1 City of Brussels2 Jette

3 Ganshoren4 Sint-Agatha-Berchem

5 Koekelberg6 Sint-Jans-Molenbeek7 Anderlecht

8 Vorst9 Sint-Gillis

10 Elsene11 Etterbeek12 Sint-Joost-ten-Node

13 Schaarbeek14 Evere

15 Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe16 Sint-Pieters-Woluwe17 Oudergem

18 Watermaal-Bosvoorde19 Ukkel

18 : "Contemporary Commons"in Brusselsignoring the low city

19 : Immigration to the low cityethnic groups immigrating to

Sint-Jans-Molenbeek from1810-2010

[17]

[18]

[19]


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dense city, vacant city //Throughout the 20th century, employment activities andthe demographic composition of the low city drasticallychanged. The Flemish peasant immigrants of the 1840-1900s were successively replaced by the French(Interbellum), the South-Mediterraneans (1950s-1960s),

the North-Africans (1960s-1970s) and the East-Europeans (1990s), who immigrated to work as labourforce (Eggerickx, 1999).Despite those severe social changes, many othercharacteristics of the low city remained the samethroughout the course of the 20th century. It was still poor,very dense, with few public facilities and a populationconsisting for a major part of immigrants.

Paradoxically, the demographically most dense part ofthe city is currently also the most 'vacant' part (BBROW,2005).If the power landscape in the high city kept expandingthroughout the 20th century from national to, muchmore recently, a number of European administrations the production and logistics landscape in the low city

was less thriving. From the 1970s -1980s onward, theindustrial canal zone started deteriorating. Marshallingyards and industrial buildings became obsolete, and alsoresidential buildings with low comfort standards becameincreasingly undesirable.

Hence the low city, which was previously identified asthe water city (structured by water courses), the iron city

(structured by a 'modernisation' of those water courses),becomes the vacant city(the post-industrialised city).

Conclusion and hypothesis //The low city's social characteristics (density, ethnicdiversity, education) entail a number of issues where alandscape urbanism approach by itself would fall short ofproviding a complete answer to urban design questions.As this narrative has shown how deeply the social

landscape of Brussels is intertwined with the physicallandscape, an exclusively social inclusion approach tourban design would be equally undesirable.

The 'Commons' highlighted in every dual development ofthe city (water-forest; iron-park) bring forward commongrounds of the two disciplines, and with a little imaginationhold the key to an integrative approach. This narrative

stopped at a point where the low city is regarded as anarea with a lack of Commons, but with a vast reservoir ofobsolete waste space.

This exciting paradox invites us to stop telling stories --and start imagining. The inspiring condition we have athand the vacant city, remainders of industrialised nature could become the setting of a new type of Commons for

the low city!It could be a Commons that claimsthe space available,that makes it public without copying the already existingpark typology in the east; a Commons tailored for thelow city: programmatically addressing current andfuture issues the area struggles with, remembering thearea's industrial past and its connection to the physicallandscape...


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Vacancy and the Commonsa common framework for inclusion

E 19

E 19

E 40 E 40

NATIONAL SCALE I I I

I REGIONAL SCALE II I (MICRO SCALE) I I LOCAL SCALE I I


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21

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

the low city condition //In order to imagine a Commons befitting the low city, adeeper understanding of what this "low city condition"exactly entails, is required. First of all, we need to clarifywhat we understand geographically by the term "lowcity" today, and how it is connected to other parts of theBrussels Region. In addition, a detailed quantification ofthe area's social issues regarding demography, education

and employment should provide an insight into the area'scurrent and future challenges.

Geographically, the 19th century low city developedclasped between canal and railway. The areas betweenrail and canal within the pentagonal centre of the city thatinitially had the same characteristics, gradually becamegentrified throughout the course of the 19th and 20th

century. In other words, the contemporary 'low city' ispushed outside of the small ring road. Today, parts of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and Anderlecht, and small fragments of

the surrounding municipalities of Koekelberg, Vorst andSint-Gillis make up the "low city".

Vacancy is an omnipresent characteristic of this low city.Both large-scale vacant sites (former marshalling yards,obsolete industrial buildings) and small-scale vacant sites(housing) are dotted throughout the area.

20 : The low city geographically: situationthe low city comprises parts of the municipalities of :

1 -- the city of Brussels2 -- Koekelberg3 -- Sint-Jans-Molenbeek

4 -- Anderlecht5 -- Sint-Gillis

6 -- Vorst

21 : The low city geographically: vacancyxs +xl sites


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22 : (below)North-south accessibility

23 : (middle)East-west accessibilitydespite the barriers, the low city is well

connected

24 : (series on the right)North-south infrastructures as barriers- the railway lines- the canal

- Pachecolaan

[22] [23] [24]

I I II I II I I


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barriers to accessibility //would-be ring roads and interrupted accessAnother issue the Brussels Region suffers from, is itslegacy of incoherent planning decisions. Besme's half-finished ring road is a beautiful example, and laterattempts to construct larger ring roads around Brussels

would prove to be equally (un)successful.Without wanting to imply that a closed ring road would bea better option no one uses a ring road in its entirety,anyway we may state that a number of planningdecisions has had a severe impact on the accessibility ofBrussels and the low city in particular. The constructionof various north-south infrastructures in the 19th century(railway, canal) impede continuous east-west circulation

to the low city. In addition to these barriers, the modernistobsession with zoning resulted in a 1955 plan by Tekhn(turning the area between Pachecolaan and the small ringroad east of it into an administrative quarter), providing yetanother barrier that only one road crosses perpendicularly(Abeels, 1982).

A series of graphic schemes on the left illustrate the

role of these north-south infrastructures as dividers andconnectors with regard to the low city. We may concludethat in an east-west direction, the low city is easilyaccessible although connections are rarely continuous. Ina north-south direction, roads are continuous but sparse.

This access discrepancy is addressed by the variousstudent projects, who reinforce the north-south direction

in the low city by either upgrading existing axes withtheir thematic type of Commons (facilities for women,community services, schools) or establishing a whole newaxis of Commons (a sports or public space network).

the low city at a glance //A detailed account of the most remarkable demographic,ethnic and education statistics of the low city are listed inan overview on the following pages. Most are addressedby at least one student project (indicated by a colourcode).

25 : projects : a north-south network

I I I

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I I - I

I I - I

ABC

HALF-FINISHED RINGROADS INTERCONNECTED RINGROADS NORTH-SOUTH BARRIERS


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youth% of population between:0-3 yrs. / 0-20 yrs. / 0-30 yrs.

6,5% / 30% / 48,5%

(Brussels Region average4,5% / 24,2% / 39,5%)

women0-30 yrs.49,9 %

(Brussels Region average 51%)

day care need1.613 extra spaces needed by2020 (161 per year)

to meet the Barcelona quote(provide day care for 33% of allchildren between 0-3 years olds)

unemployment 36,4 %

(Brussels Region average 20,5 %)

densityCureghem: 13.500 inh/km2Laag-Molenbeek: 16.000 inh/km2

(B.R. average 6.750 inh/km2)

moroccan40,3% with Moroccan origins


ethnicity70% foreign/double nationality

(Brussels Region average 46,3%)

highschooldropouts 31,8 %


vacancy9 % of all buildings7 ha XXS sites10 ha XXL sites

24


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Rana Habibi

Verena Lenna

Barbara Sandra

Payam Tabrizian

Evelyne Vanhoutte

Miguel Vanleene

teenagepregnancy3,8 %

(Brussels Region average 2,8%)

unemployedwomen 18-64

> 50%


sports facilities

informal econ-omy (markets)

populationgrowth by 2020> 20%


school neednursery/primary/secondaryschools to be opened by 2015

12 / 12 / 2

(% of school need in B.R.35% / 31% / 33%)

6+ families 8,7 %(Brussels Region average 2,9%)

THE LOWCITY AT A

GLANCE *

I I II I I

ACCESS ON A REGIONAL SCALE LOW CITY MICRO SCALE

(LEONARD

INTERSECTION)

25


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XL

XS

VACANT FUNCTIONAL

26 : Matrix of the commonssmall-scale vs. large-scale interventions;working with occupied vs. vacant land

27 : projects of the Commonsaddressing different issues

markets & educationby Barbara Sandra

markets

by Payam Tabrizian

sports infrastructure

by Miguel Vanleene

'Common Wealth'

by Verena Lenna

women's and ethnic facilitiesby Rana Habibi

education & daycareby Evelyne Vanhoutte

[26] [27]

I - I


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Concluding notes //Apart from addressing many relevant issues at stake inthe low city, the student projects presented in the secondpart of this paper also make up a spatial logic on a largerscale than just the low city's. Together, these Low CityCommons form a new spatial scheme on the scale of

Brussels: a north-south public space structure followingthe Senne valley and counterbalancing/complementingthe 19th-20th century concentric park chain establishedby Leopold II.

THE LOW CITY COMMONS

28 : City of Commonsa new spatial scheme for Brussels


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References // publications

Le Dveloppement de la Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

depuis 1700.Brussels : Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean,

Service de l'instruction publique

ABEELS, Gustave (1982). Pierres et rues. Brussels :Weissenbruch

ABEELS, Gustave (1983). La Senne. Brussels : Ministre de laCommunaut franaise

ANDERLECHT (2008). Gentegreerd Cultuurbeleidsplan2008-2013. [Online] Retrieved from derinck.vgc.be/cultuur/documenten/2008-13.pdfon August 3, 2011.

Brussels Instituut voor Milieubeheer (2003). Beheerplan voorhet Zoninwoud. Gedeelte Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest.[Online]. Retrieved from: http://documentatie.leefmilieubrussel.be/documents/Beheerplan_Zonienwoud_2003_NL.PDF ,accessed March 15, 2011.

BISA (2010). Bevolkingsprojecties 2010-2020 voor het Brussels

Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. In: De cahiers van het BISA 1(2010).Brussels : Ministerie van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest.[Online] Available at http://www.brustat.irisnet.be/

BISA (2010). Weerslag van de demografische ontwikkeling opde schoolbevolking in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. In:De cahiers van het BISA2(2010). Brussels : Ministerie van hetBrussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest.[Online] Available at http://www.brustat.irisnet.be/

BBROW (2005). Les logements vides Bruxelles Leegstandin Brussel. In: Art. 23. Driemaandelijks dossier van de BBROW1/1837. Brussels : BBROW.

CHARRUADAS, Paul (2004). Molenbeek-Saint-Jean : Un villagebruxellois au Moyen Age.Brussels : CIRHIBRU (ULB)

COSMOPOLIS (2010). Statistical Report on The Neighborhood

Of Kuregem Veeartsenij.Brussels : VUB

CULOT, Maurice et al. (1997). Brussel en de Zenne. Brussels :Archives dArchitecture Moderne

DANCKAERT, Lisette et al. (1989). Bruxelles : cinq sicles decartographie. Knokke : Mappamundi

DEBERGH, Annelies (2006). Serie Leven van Landbouw. Fase1: van voedsel- naar landbouwcrisis. In: VeeteeltVlees 11(2006)

DELIGNE, Chlo (2003). Bruxelles et sa Rivire. Gnse dunterritoire urbain (12e-18e sicle). Brussels : Museum van deStad Brussel

DELIGNE, Chlo (2005). Brussel boven water: de relatie van destad met haar waterlopen van de Middeleeuwen tot vandaag.

Turnhout : Brepols

DEMEY, Thierry (1992). Bruxelles, chronique dune capitale enchantier. Brussels : Paul Legrain; ditions C.F.C.

DEMEY, Thierry (2008). Een kanaal in Brussel : bron van leven

en werk.Brussels : Badeaux

EGGERICKX, T., KESTELOOT, C., POULAIN, M. et al. (1999).Monografie no. 3. Algemene Volks- en Woningtelling op 1 maart

1991. De Allochtone Bevolking in Belgi.Brussels : Ministerievan Economische Zaken, Nationaal Instituut voor de Statistiek.FINCOEUR, Michel et al. (2000). Brussel en de overwelving vande Zenne. Brussels: Koninklijke Bibliotheek van Belgi

HUBERTY, Colette (2000). 100 ans de logement social Molenbeek : bilan et perspectives davenir. Brussels : LeLogement Molenbeekois

JAUMAIN, Serge (ed.) (2004). Bruxelles et la jonction Nord-Midi:histoire, architecture et mobilit urbaine. Brussels : Archives dela Ville de Bruxelles

KURGAN-VAN HENTENRYK, G. (1996). Gouverner la Gnralede Belgique: essai de biographie collective. Brussels : De

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LEBLICQ, Yvon (2000). Voor, tijdens en na de overwelvingvan de Zenne. Brussel : de verandering in beeld. Brussels:

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MAZIERS, Michel (1994). Histoire d'une fort priurbaine:Soignies 1822-1843. Sous la coupe de la Socit Gnrale.Brussel: ditions de l'Universit de Bruxelles

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van lokale statistieken in het Brusselse gewest,fche nr 1, editie

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analyse van lokale statistieken in het Brusselse gewest,fche nr

12, editie2(2010).

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PUISSANT, Jean (ed.) (2005). Molenbeek, une communebruxelloise. In: Les Cahiers de La Fonderie 33. Brussels : LaFonderie

SINT-JANS-MOLENBEEK (2008). Gentegreerd Cultuur-beleidsplan 2008-2013.

[Online] Retrieved from http://www.molenbeek.irisnet.be/la-vie-a-molenbeek/loisirs/culture-amande/service-communal-de-la-

culture-neerlandophone on August 3, 2011.

SMETS, Marcel (1977). De ontwikkeling van de tuinwijkgedachtein Belgi. Een overzicht van de Belgische volkswoningbouw.

1830-1930.Brussels : Pierre Mardaga ditions

STYNEN, Herman (1979). Stedebouw en gemeenschap: LouisVan der Swaelmen (1883-1929), bezieler van de moderne

beweging in Belgi.Brussels : Pierre Mardaga

VAN DER BEN, Dick (1997). La fort de Soignes. Pass, prsent,avenir. Brussels : ditions Racine

WALDHEIM, Charles (2006). The Landscape Urbanism Reader.New York, NY : Princeton Architectural Press

WAUTERS, Alphonse (1971). Histoire des environs de Brux-elles ou description historique des localits qui formaient

autrefois l'ammannie de cette ville (1855). Brussels : ditionsCulture et Civilisation.

WILLAERT, Didier and DEBOOSERE, Patrick (2005).Buurtatlasvan de Bevolking van het Brussel Hoofdstedelijk Gewest bij de

aanvang van de 21ste eeuw.Brussels : IRIS Editions.

ZITOUNI, Bndikte (2010). Agglomrer. Une anatomie delextension bruxelloise (1828-1915).Brussels : VUBPress


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References // graphics (in order of appearance)

1 : Parallel valley systemsbase map: Estuaries with city names by Putseys, Isabelle(2010) [unpublished working material]

2 : The three valley regionsbase map: Carte des niveaux et des terrains de al Belgiqueby Verstraeten, Thodore and Van Molle, A lbert (1878),published by Brussels : Institut cartographique militaire.In: WAUTERS, Alphonse (1971). Histoire des environs deBruxelles (1855). Brussels : ditions Culture et Civilisation,frst pages (no page numbers).

3 : The powerful forestbase map: Sonienbosch by Van Werden, J. (1659), In:PIERRON, Sander (1935). Histoire Illustre de la Fort deSoignes. Brussels : La Pense belge, p. 21

4 : The three valleys of Brusselsbase maps:- Carte des niveaux et des terrains de al Belgique byVerstraeten, Thodore and Van Molle, Albert (1878),published by Brussels : Institut cartographique militaire.In: WAUTERS, Alphonse (1971). Histoire des environs deBruxelles (1855). Brussels : ditions Culture et Civilisation,frst pages (no page numbers)

- Carte de cabinet des Pays-Bas autrichiens by Comte de

Ferraris, J.-J.-F. (1771-1778). [Online] Retrieved from http://www.kbr.be/collections/cart_plan/ferraris/ferraris_nl.html

5 : The Water Citybase map: Carte de cabinet des Pays-Bas autrichiens byComte de Ferraris, J.-J.-F. (1771-1778). [Online] Retrievedfrom http://www.kbr.be/collections/cart_plan/ferraris/ferraris_nl.html

6 : High city Low city

7 : The Iron City

base maps:- Plan d'ensemble pour l'extension et l'embellissementde l'agglomration bruxelloise by Besme, V ictor (1866),published by Brussels : tablissement gographique de Ph.Vandermaelen. Available at Brussels : Sint-Lukasarchief.- Nouveau plan de Bruxelles Industriel by Verwest, Auguste(1910), published by Brussels : Muse royal de l'Anne.

8 : The powerful forestbase map: Sonienbosch by Van Werden, J. (1659), In:PIERRON, Sander (1935). Histoire Illustre de la Fort deSoignes. Brussels : La Pense belge, p. 21

9 : The rich forest

Growth rate of the low citybase maps:- Carte de la Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean by Anon. (1707).

- Plan de la Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean by Anon. (1846).- Plan de la Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean by Jansen, J.B.(1906).In: Le Dveloppement de la Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jeandepuis 1700. Brussels : Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean,Service de l'instruction publique.based on: Census data

10 : Comparing the growth rates in low and high citybased on: Census data

11 : The Park Citybase maps:- Plan d'ensemble pour l'extension et l'embellissement del'agglomration bruxelloise by Besme, Victor (1866), publishedby Brussels : tablissement gographique de Ph. Vandermaelen.Available at Brussels : Sint-Lukasarchief.- Aerial photo of Brussels, retrieved from Google Maps

12 : Series of landscape paintings by Hippolyte Boulenger (ca. 1870).- tang Tervueren: by the lake. [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.askart.com/askart/b/hippolyte_boulenger/hippolyte_boulenger.aspx, accessed Aug 7, 2011.

- The Josaphat valley at Schaerbeek.[Online] Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artarchive0607/3356276074/in/photostream,accessed Aug 7, 2011.-The old hornbeam alley, Tervueren. [Online] Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boulenger_Landscape.jpg, accessedAug 7, 2011.

13 : Plan d'ensemble pour l'extension et l'embellissement del'agglomration bruxelloise by Besme, Victor (1866), publishedby Brussels : tablissement gographique de Ph. Vandermaelen.Available at Brussels : Sint-Lukasarchief.

14 : Nouveau plan de Bruxelles Industriel by Verwest, Auguste (1910),published by Brussels : Muse royal de l'Anne.

15 : Spatial evolution of the Water City and the Forest Citybase maps:- Sonienbosch by Van Werden, J. (1659), In: PIERRON, Sander(1935). Histoire Illustre de la Fort de Soignes. Brussels : LaPense belge, p. 21- Nouveau plan de Bruxelles Industriel by Verwest, Auguste (1910),published by Brussels : Muse royal de l'Anne.- Atlas cadastral de Belgique by Popp, Philippe-Christian (1842-1879). Bruges : P.C. Popp and B. Valckenaere & Cie. [Online],accessible athttp://dgtl.kbr.be:8881/main.

R f //


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16 : The Vacant Citybase map: digital map by URBIS Brussels. http://www.cirb.

irisnet.be/departements/services/urbisdata: BBROW (2005).

17 : 'Contemporary Commons' in Brussels

18 : Immigration to the Low Citybased on: Census data

19 : The low city geographically: situationbase map: digital map by URBIS Brussels.http://www.cirb.irisnet.be/departements/services/urbis

20 : The low city geographically: vacancybased on: fieldwork on-site

21 : North-souh accessibilitybase map: digital map by URBIS Brussels.http://www.cirb.irisnet.be/departements/services/urbi

22 : East-west accesibilitybase map: digital map by URBIS Brussels.http://www.cirb.irisnet.be/departements/services/urbis

23 : North-south infrastructures as barriersbase map: digital map by URBIS Brussels.http://www.cirb.irisnet.be/departements/services/urbis

24 : Projects: a north-south network

25 : Projects of the Commons

26 : Matrix of the Commons

27 : City of Commons

References // internet

General:

Website Sint-Jans-Molenbeek:

http://www.molenbeek.be/

Website Sonian Forest (history):http://www.zonienwoud.be/

Abattoirs d'Anderlecht:http://www.abatan.be/

Urbanisms of Inclusionhttp://www.newschool.edu/parsons/subpage.aspx?id=58015

Statistics:

FOD Economie :http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/cijfers/Accessed Aug 3, 2011

Census data:http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/cijfers/bevolking/volkstelling/Accessed Aug 3, 2011

Growth projection; school shortage;Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (BISA) :http://www.brustat.irisnet.be/, Accessed Aug 3, 2011

Wijkmonitoring :http://www.wijkmonitoring.irisnet.be/,Accessed Aug 3, 2011

Number of foreigners, naturalisation and progenyat Non-Profit Data :http://www.npdata.be, Accessed Aug 7, 2011


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IMAG(INARI)EScataloguing the voids

The obsolete low city


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The obsolete low cityspace, much wasted ..


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Void typologies //The previous chapter, Natures of Brussels, introduced aninteresting question: (how) can the Vacant City becomethe Commons of the Low City?

In order to imagine a Commons on these abandoned lots,it is desirable that we reflect a moment on what we haveat hand. What are these vacant spaces, how are they

perceived, and what do they mean in our everyday citylives?

There are a range of terms to describe the condition ofurban voids."Restgebied" is a neutral term used in Dutch to covera wide range of unoccupied or unused spaces, andtranslates to English a little awkwardly to 'rest areas' or

often more pejoratively to 'waste spaces'. A term thatbetter covers the ambiguous role (unoccupied butavailable .. empty but unengaged .. ) of these areaswithout being negative, is the one Ignasi de Sol-Moralespreferred in his 1995 essay 'Terrain Vague'. The Frenchterm encompasses the ambiguity mentioned before,but also a reference to uncertainty, indeterminacy, evenevoking potential, expectations, expectancies.

In his paper, de Sol-Morales uses the fascination ofcontemporary photographers with the urban void toaddress their 'strange' character. He sees the fixationof photographers to depict spaces devoid of elementsof power (read: architecture) as a critique of society:they zoom in on exactly those issues that make usuncomfortable a lack of recognisability, aesthetics and

rationalisation. His plea continues as a sort of protectivemanifesto for the urban void: that those spaces confront

us with our anxiety, is not necessarily a bad thing; weshould preserve its strangeness, not make it generic;don't fill it up, don't impose order, for Christ's sake don'tdo architecture in there.

The 'strange' character of most abandoned lots inthe low, post-industrialised city of Brussels, holds the

impression that these spaces are 'lost' to industrialisation,modernisation. Post-modern space, if you will. Many ofthose large sites are still being used in one or the otherway, but they suffer from the weight of their industriallegacy their past seems to give them a different statusthan the 'regular' urban fabric.Or as Ignasi de Sol-Morales put it beautifully:

"Recent photographers [...] have captured the condi-tion of these spaces as internal to the city yet externalto its everyday use. In these forgotten places, the mem-

ory of the past seems to predominate over the present."

Coming back to de Sol-Morales' cry for non-intervention,if architecture is not the answer to handle the so-called'anxiety' these urban voids evoke, maybe we should try todefine what it is that causes our anxiety.

Our western minds are indoctrinated by the idea ofproperty, appropriation. The sight of something not beingtaken care of, with no reference of someone responsiblefor it or no clear owner, quickly evoke thoughts of unsafety.

The following pages provide an overview of the terrainsvagues of the low city of Brussels, and a few cases

provide an glimpse of the refreshing power of (alleged)appropriation.


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vacant corners

despite their strategic location,surprisingly many corners remainunbuilt and unused.

fenced corners

mostly used for billboardsand advertising

XXS7 ha

36


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gated but obsolete lots

the majority of obsolete lots isinaccessible (gated and locked),and despite their abandonment tryto communicate an impression ofownership.

37


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thurn & taxis area

the vast abondoned domain ofthurn & taxis affects its immediatesurroundings: there is a remarkablyhigher proportion of both smalland large vacant lots.

XXL10 ha

38

thurn & taxis


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the former customs buildings of theBrussels harbour have been aban-doned since the 1980s.

slowly but gradually, buildings arebeing renovated and put into new(high-end) uses. other parts of thecomplex are used alternatively: thissmall circus school squats in the

vacant former railway halls.(photos by B. Sandra and V. Lenna)

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1 : Evolution of open space in Laag-Molenbeekthe situation in 1892 1930 1970 2009

2 : Public space and vacant sitesan extended perception of public space


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The selection of fieldwork pictures on the previous pagesprovides an impression of the types and scales of vacantspaces at hand in the Brussels low city. The large amountof post-industrial sites was more or less expected, butthere is also a remarkable number of abandoned smallsites (their surface areas combined, they count foran extra 7ha in addition to the existing public space).Imagining that extra 'public' space scattered throughout

Brussels densest areas (> 16.000 inh./km2) is at least anexciting idea.

For an opinion about the type of interventions befittingthose vacant sites then, we turn to de Sol-Morales'concluding notes:

"How can architecture act in the terrain vague with-out becoming an aggressive instrument of power and

reason? Undoubtedly, through attention to continuity:not the continuity of the planned, efcient, and legiti-mated city but of the ows, the energies, the rythms es-tablished by the passing of time and the loss of limits.[...] we should treat the residual city with a contradic-tory complicity that will not shatter the elements thatmaintain its continuity in time and space."

With regard to the low city's reservoir of small-scale (XS)vacant sites, the "elements that maintain its continuity intime and space" could be the very (temporal) flexibilityof these spaces itself: some remain vacant for a longtime, but most fluctuate: availability disappears on onelocation and reappears on another. In other words, theinterventions of the XS Commons should be prepared for,or even based on, a temporal time frame.

For the "elements of continuity" on large scale obsoletesites, one particular 'flow' comes to mind: the economicforce of the informal market. Examples in the Brusselslow city comprise the market on the obsolescentslaughterhouse site and the market of the Midi station.Remarkable is how these fluctuating markets and theirphysical settings are nevertheless dependent on eachother: they provide some kind of regional identity. In any

proposal on such a site, a detailed study of the existing'flows' is most important. Even better would be to instigatenew, or related flows based on considerate programming.

Mental voids //In order to get an idea of flow-triggering programmes onXS-sites, on what 'flows' could be created or reinforced, I

decided to investigate what mental voids were present inMolenbeek regarding the use of space. Despite the 7haspace 'available', there is also a crying need for space,especially for the young.

At the municipal school Windekind in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, fifty children between the age of 5 and 8(old enough to play together but not really mobile yet)

were asked to draw their "ideal Wednesday afternoon".*The results (a selection is shown on the following page)were sometimes very plain, others were very imaginative.Except for one, all ideal activities took place in the samearea Laag-Molenbeek, where most also live and manyinvolved playing with siblings, mostly of the same sex.

*This methodology was introduced in the course "Ethnicity: Theories and

Application on Mediterranean Cultures" taught by Prof. Johan Leman at theFaculty of Social Sciences at KULeuven during the 2011 Spring semester.

The lacking low city


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ADAM (1)spends his ideal Wednesday afternoon withhis older brother driving through the streetsof Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and being chased bypolice cars and armed ofcers

WINDEKINDmunicipal elementary and nursery school atSint-Jans-Molenbeek

ADAM (2)plays football with his siblings and malefriends

PRINCEwants to spend the afternoon outdoors play-ing with his older brother if there is lots ofsunshine, and indoors playing Nintendo 3dsin his room on the second oor if it is raining

ISHAPspends the rest of the day with his cousinsand sister visiting a mobile games unit thatoffers giant balloons, teddy bears, boardgames, a library and bunk beds

ZAKARIA (1)spends the afternoon in a nature park (with

water, birds and other animals) not far fromhis house

IMANwants a park closeby, with a bouncy castlewhere she and her girlfriends from schoolcan go crazy (without shoes)

space, much needed ..

References //


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Concluding notes //

The cataloguing of both physical and 'mental' voidsprovided an insight into discrepancies and overlapsregarding public space within the vacant / dense city.The main conclusions to be drawn from this overview are

that we should be careful to invade vacant spaces witharchitecture or urban design. A sensitivity to the existinglatent flows is required to formulate suitable interventionsinto vacant spaces. With the words of de Sol-Morales, a'contradictory complicity' in approaching the residual cityis to be encouraged.

For the XS Commons, (temporal) appropriation of small

sites is a path worth exploring. Children's dreams anddrawings could be a useful guideline for both designinginterventions in these spaces and communicating withother inhabitants of Laag-Molenbeek.The XL Commons on the other hand requires considerateprogramming that takes into account (the importance of)existing flows, and that honours the 'strangeness' of thesite.

publications

DE SOL-MORALES RUBI, Ignasi (1995). Terrain Vague. In:DAVIDSON, Cynthia (ed.) (1995). Anyplace. Boston : MIT Press,

pp. 118-123.

LEMAN, Johan (1999). The sanctity of Sicilian home and

friendship changing into religion-based community formations:

the city of Caltanissetta at the end of the 20th century.

In: Cultuur, etniciteit en migratie. Liber Amicorum Prof. Dr. E.

Roosens (pp. 17-28). Leuven : Acco

VANAUTGAERDEN, Liesl and SMETS, Bas (2007). Het Vlaams

Restgebied. Ontdekking van het anere landschap. Leuven: OSA.

[Online] Retrieved from: http://vlaamsbouwmeester.be/render_

content.aspx?24a5baa9-1bf7-40d0-b40c-fdb3c607ab22 ,

accessed on June 2, 2011.

graphics

All fieldwork photographs by Evelyne Vanhoutte, unless

mentioned otherwise.

All children's drawings are made by pupils of the first and

second year at the elementary school Windekind, Jean-Baptiste

Decockstraat 54, B-1080 Sint-Jans-Molenbeek.

Schematic evolution of open space in Molenbeek:

MS-A. Images retrieved from: http://www.ms-a.be/index.

php?q=urbanisme/68, accessed on May 9, 2011.


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RECLA!M!NG | REFRAMING VOIDS

PROJECT XS

participe futur

PROJECT XL

maison des mres // ecolan


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Strategies for participation //De Sol-Morales mentioned indeterminacy, uncertaintyas characteristics of the terrains vagues or residual city.Fieldwork already showed that (temporal) uncertainty isnot necessarily an obstacle to interventions or attempts toappropriate space.

Examples of complicit appropriation are widespread(Santiago Cirugeda's office Recetas Urbanas in Sevilledoes low-budget guerilla interventions in underused urbanspace, triggering participation and social interaction withinneighbourhoods; Rotor in Brussels built their temporaryheadquarters RDF181 guerilla-style on an obsolete lot inthe Vlaamsesteenweg the main connection to Sint-Jans-

Molenbeek)

Participative projects are hard to achieve in Molenbeek.Although in the architecture scene there are many projects

aboutMolenbeek, inhabitants of the municipalities at stakeonly rarely show up at meetings and seminars (PlatformKanal, interview with Wim Embrechts).

Using youth as an entry point to participation is astrategic choice. They are still very dependent so parentsare involved easily, and they are enrolled in existingactive social networks such as schools and libraries which hold excellent potential as a base for interactionand communication (Gentegreerd cultuurbeleidsplanAnderlecht and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, 2010). It wouldindeed be a smart strategy to tap into existing active

social networks and expand them with mobile brancheson strategic vacant spaces.

2 : RDF181The temporary headquarters of Rotor atVlaamsesteenweg in 2007

poster participation


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+ =

school

3 : Photoshopped 'nature landscape' on an abandoned site along the canal.Children's drawings are used for inspiration and communication;existing social networks play a role in making this process interactive by providing stickers, which the kids can add on the imaginary landscapes


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The premises to address the XL Commons are similar:

Two well-connected but obsolescent sites are chosen todevelop a typology of the Commons that integrates intothe existing social network expanding it where it isn'tas strong. They offer programmes that address pressingissues of the low city (summary on the left page), and lookat (former) landscape systems to come up with a schemefor the public space.The proposals are exemplary typologies: these two are

tryouts, but many more surrounding sites hold equivalentpotential.

maison desmres

colan

maisondescultures

de foyer

la fonderie

JES

dar-el-

amal

la rue

mq heyvaert

maison des enfants

lesunsetlesautres

mqla goutte dhuile

de vaartkapoen

BELLEVUE

ccmaritime

mqquatre-vents

SAB

mq rose-chimiste

mqrevvision

mqrivegauche

FAARE

mqvan meyel

mqlibrateurs

5 : low city network of vacant / obsolete sites

6 : tapping into and extendingthe existing social network

legend:mosque

church

7 : obsolete sites and 17th C waterwaysoverlaying the vacant low city with the former

trajectory of the Senne river and its tributaries


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1891

54


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DELACROIX


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..

CHAUSS

EDEM

ONS

???

CLEMENCEAU

TRAM 31

TRAM 81

..

ABC

canal

LaSenne

30.

00

30.

00

17 : site accessibilityby car, bus, tram, subway

new bus line added in red

20 : new sports facilities

18 : water on-sitecanal + former trajectory of river Senne

19 : site restrictions30m no-build-zone around old monumentmax. building height: 13m above ground level

21 : market surface area42.000 m2(status quo with existing situation)

22 : public space schemes

23 : school campus with sports facilitiesnew secondary schools, elementary and

nursery school; existing higher education instituteErasmus Hogeschool Brussel)


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public space along canal

water: canal and the river Senne

housing with inner courtyards

24 : site proposal


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25 : section AA'

62


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63


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SECTION AA'

SECTIONB

B'

SECTIONC

C'

SECTIOND

D'

SECTION AA'

64


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References //

publications


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66

ALBERT I

SQUARE

DEVROE, An (2010). De Zenne in vier delen (2): de overwelving

ongedaan maken? In: Brussel Deze Week, March 5, 2010.

[Online] retrieved from:

http://www.brusselnieuws.be/artikel/de-zenne-vier-delen-2-de-

overwelving-ongedaan-maken, accessed Aug 16, 2011.

VANDENBROECK, Michel and GEENS, Naomi (2011).

Cartografie van de Brusselse Nederlandstalige Kinderopvang

2. Evoluties 2005 - 2010. [Online] Retrieved from: http://

w w w . v g c . b e / N R / rd o n l y re s / 6 5 1 5 D 4 4 0 -1 6 1 E -4 A 1 8 -

B54F-4D9665D009E8/0/2011_cartograf ie_Brusselse_

Nederlandstalige_kinderopvang2.pdf, accessed Aug 18, 2011

30 : bird's eye view from the canal


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Thanks //to Bruno De Meulder, for his patience, his open-mindedness and inexhaustible intellectual supportthroughout this thesis semester.to Brian McGrath and Miodrag Mitrasinovic, for theirvaluable input and devoted guidance during our stay atParsons The New School of Designin New York.

to Isabelle Putseys, for taking on the whole logistics of ourstudio trip to NY, and for being such great company!to Kelly Shannon, for her refreshing view and firm but justcomments GTD-guaranteed.to RTER, for benevolently allowing me to use their digitalbase files of the cole Vtrinaire in Anderlecht.to Ingrid Depraetere, school prinicipal at Windekindelementary school in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, for her kind

cooperation with regard to my fieldwork.to Esther Jacobs, who did an excellent job at designingthe layout of this book and to my other fellow students:Barbara, Ben, Miguel, Payam, Rana, Sven and Verena, fortheir cooperative spirit and supportive messages :-)to Hanne Buelens, for providing me with a green, lushparadise to work in.to my parents, for their relentless support throughout

this postgraduate masters programme, by every meanspossible.


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recl/fr)a(i)ming the voids of laag-molenbeek and cureghem

Documents