WAVE Living Lab Brussels 2021
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| Area | Brussels Region | |
| Place | Municipality of Anderlecht | |
| Country | Belgium | |
| Topics | Brussels Canal Discovery | |
| Author(s) | Please enter your name(s)- optional | |
| ||
Rationale
- Why do you think this case is relevant?
The Canal, or rather the Canals (the Willebroeck Canal and the Charleroi Canal), have had a profound impact on the landscape and spatial structure of Brussels, influencing its urban development and socio-economic context and enriching its industrial architectural heritage. Today, the canal continues to play an important role in the life of the city, fulfilling several functions: from naval transport to the promenade and the relaxation area for citizens. The area is strongly connected to the cultural and industrial heritage but at the same time strongly influenced by the multicultural character and the diversity of minorities.
- What is your hypothesis considering the landscape challenges?
The changes in the dynamics of the city, both in terms of the industrial functions performed by the canal and of the mass emigrations, raise questions about the efficiency of the use of space and the methods of improving the quality of life in the city of Brussels. Encouraging multiculturalism and interaction, in a landscape with strong industrial influences can generally new urban development strategies
Location and scope
You can edit this map with the map editor
Water as a natural system
Geomorphology, typologies and dynamics of water areas
- Describe the water areas of your area in the context of the wider water system
- How does water appear in the landscape of your living lab? What types of water areas are common?
- Please identify the water bodies' catchment areas, tributaries and floodplains
- Which dynamics do these water areas have?
- Have there been any flood events in the past?
There has already been flooding at the canal in Anderlecht in the past. The flood gate play an essential role in controlling the water level in order to avoid overflows during heavy rains and therefore heavy floods. The valve system allows to control and manage the water flow.
- add 2-3 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like
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Water as a living space
- Which habitats can be found in and along the water areas of your area?
The canal and its banks offer some of the time astounding biodiversity. Nearby the regular Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls, remarkable fowls for the Brussels Region such as the Little Plover, the Crested Lapwing, the Snipe or the White Stork have been watched. In Laeken, the numerous Gray Herons settling in colonies within the Royal Domain moreover visit the canal which borders it. On the buildings of the CERES flour plants, the biggest colony of swallows in Brussels has been set up around 150 nests, Which utilize the sand from the companies to form their nests. Encourage south, in Anderlecht, the Batelage basin makes it conceivable to watch from the towpath numerous species of water winged creatures (Moorhen, Common Scaup, Wagtail, ...) in an environment that remains solid green. Within the evening, one can too see, flying over the conduit, bats which come to nourish on flies, mosquitoes or butterflies. At last, among the fifteen species of angle found within the canal, able to specify the Common Eel, a migratory fish native to the Sargasso Sea.
- How is the water quality in your water areas?
The tests were administered consistent with the Brussels decree which imposes two micro-biological controls, intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli , and consistent with the results, the water is of fantastic quality.
- Which areas are still natural, which are urbanised/artificial?
- Are the rivers permeable for fish or blocked by artificial elements?(approx 200 signs)
Fishing within the Canal and in certain Brussels lakes is authorized subject to the ownership of a permit allowed by the Brussels-Capital Region. The most popular places on the Canal are located between the Anderlecht lock and Drogenbos (more than 100 meters from the locks), and between the Van Praet and Vilvorde bridges. You can catch roach, carp, pike, tench or even eel.
- add 1-2 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like
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Blue and Green Infrastructure
- What are the major potential elements of a green/blue infrastructure network? Are these likely to change/disappear? Why is that?
- You find my background material on green infrastructure in our reading list
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Water as a cultural space
Land use and water
- map the land uses along your water areas: settlements, infrastructure, agriculture, resource extraction, natural areas, energy production...
Water has played a key factor in the development of the city, being used both as a natural resource and as a waterway. As we can notice in the image next to it, the main occupation of the soil is the industrial one. Today, industrial activity operates in other parameters than in the 18th century, so certain residential areas or mixed areas are slowly beginning to make their way along the canal.
- describe in particular the historical evolution of land use pattern, please make use of historical maps
"The valley of the Senne, the river that runs through Brussels from southwest to northeast, is the birthplace of the city.
10th century: Brussels first emerged as a transhipment point for goods ,on an island called the Ile Saint-Géry, the furthest navigable point on the Senne ,in the marshy area around.
13th century: Brussels was established as an important industrial city. The river was the main source of primary energy, driving the numerous mills that were built along its banks. Hydraulic projects were used for flood attenuation, the creation of fish ponds and the irrigation of areas away from the flood zone. It was the main route linking Brussels to the economic hub of Antwerp and to the North Sea, via the Scheldt.
16ty century :Brussels’ initial economic boom was founded on drapery, tapestries, lace and similar goods so between 1551 and 1561, the Willebroeck Canal was bilte to connected Brussels to Antwerp in 30 km (significantly less than the 120 km of the meandering Senne)
18th century: With the development of other industries and urban growth, the need to develop a communication route between Brussels and Charlora becomes eminent for the transport of raw materials - mainly coal. in 1827, construction work began on a canal linking Brussels to Charleroi and the Hainaut mining area. This was opened in 1832. The Willebroeck Canal, meanwhile, was deepened to accommodate vessels of a greater tonnage. This growing of industri accelerated the development of the railway network, which had the effect of dividing up the urban landscape.
In the late 19th century, the rail network reached saturation point. Gradually, the idea gained ground of turning Brussels into a sea port. This was done by building ever more extensive and deeper port facilities to accommodate not just river barges, but seagoing vessels too. To ensure a straight-line connection with the Charleroi Canal, the bed of the Willebroek Canal was moved 60 m to the west, so that the Canals leading north and south now met where the Pont Sainctelette is located today.
The implementation of this idea in the early 20th century transformed the city."
source"Vous avez dit canal?!État des lieux illustré du Territoire du canal à Bruxelles" Urban Development Agency for the Brussels-Capital Region - 2014
more info : https://canal.brussels/en/node/8673/history
- description evolution, status quo and driving forces, is the land use likely to change? Why is that? (approx 200 signs)
Two key factors in changing the dynamics and character of the canal, felt in the early 1970s, were the development of the peripheral areas of Brussels where the middle and upper classes moved and deindustrialization. As a result of deindustrialization and job losses, the main area of the canal ends up housing people with lower incomes. All these factors leave visible traces in the landscape, allowing the buildings and former warehouses to deteriorate.
Today, the port of Brussel is putting their effort encouraging the fluvial transport by supporting TRANSSHIPMENT and playing his role in the maintain of the canal: “the main aim the support of a modal shift from the road towards the more respectful environment-friendly modes of transport which are waterway and rail."
more info : https://port.brussels/en/port-brussels/about-port/missions
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capture brugis.be
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Cultural and spatial typologies of water areas
- Which spatial patterns have evolved in relation to your water areas?
- What is the role of water areas within the overall urban morphology? (approx 200 signs)
- add 1-2 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like
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Sacred spaces and heritage
- Which places/elements hold cultural value and to whom?
- You may add a map and some images, please also explain in your caption why these elements are valuable
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Visual appearance and landscape narrative
- Which elements are essential for the landscape character?
- Has the landscape been painted or otherwise depicted, when and whom? Which elements are essential?
- Which narratives exist? Who has written about this landscape or depicted it in some way?
- You can add text and images
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Water and People
Accessibility and usability
- Where are your water areas accessible, and where not? How strong are spatial obstacles preventing access?
- Who is using the spaces and how?
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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Community Mapping
What is to be mapped here?
- Social groups from within the community, for example the youth, kids, students, parents, the retired etc. Typically, these groups have specific needs, which you can also make explicit on the map. These people might not be organized in any way, but they are usually present in the context you are observing
- Local stakeholder groups: these groups are organized in one or the other way. They only exist within the community context you are observing. For example: the local community center, local churches, local interest groups, the landowners, small businesses and retailers
- External stakeholder groups are not necessarily present in the environment you are observing, but they may have strong stakes and interests. These can be local authorities, politicians, associations, care services etc.
- For each group, you may identify their needs, objectives, power and capacities
- You may also identify gaps and power conflicts
- Please try to redepict these elements in an integrated way and in relation to your water landscape. What is the relationship between these groups? Are they close or distanced from each other? Who is more powerful? Which voices are hardly heard? Do they have any shared concerns?
- Your case your community map1.jpg
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Possible Futures
- You can summarize your findings with a SWOT diagram and a DPSI(R) Model
- Link back to the Sustainable Development Goals: Which goals are at risk?
- What is your worst case scenario for this landscape?
- What is your best case scenario for this landscape?
- Present your scenarios in the form of a collage or sketch
- Add text and visuals
- Your case your spider diagram or dpsir model.jpg
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- Your case yourworstcase visual.jpg
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Collaborative Goal Setting
- Define strategic planning objectives based on the evaluation findings from your analysis
- Ideally, involve the community of your living labs into this process
- Link back to your original targets from section one and the Development Goals
- 150 words text contribution
Spatial Strategy and Transect
- translate your strategic goals into a vision
- develop a spatial translation of your vision
- exemplify your vision in the form of a transect with concrete interventions
- add map(s) and visualizations
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From Theory of Change to Implementation
- For implementing your vision: Which partnerships are needed? Which governance model is required?
- Who needs to act and how? Draw and explain a change/process model/timeline
- Which resources are needed? On which assets can you build?
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References
- give a full list of the references you have used for your case
Process Reflection
- Reflect in your intercultural and interdisciplinary team on the outcomes of your study
- Which limitations were you facing?
- What have you learnt from each other?
- What did you learn in the Living Labs?
- What would you do differently next time?
- You can also use diagrams/visuals
- 250 words text