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EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
Information about the study area/project site
CULTURESCAPE 2012 will offer a perspective on the way how cultural landscapes have evolved over time and can be related to specific determining factors in local and wider European context and how cultural heritage can be integrated into education, research, professional, administrative and political practice.
For CULTURESCAPE 2012, the Maalbeek valley has been selected as our study area. The Maalbeek is a stream that runs through several municipalities in Brussels, including Etterbeek, Elsene, St-Joost-ten-Noode and Schaarbeek. It is a tributary of the Zenne, which it joins in Schaarbeek, its source is located near the Abbey of La Cambre. Source and mouth of the river are the boundaries of our study area.
After Belgian independence in 1830, Brussels becomes the capital of Belgium. Being the capital of a new country soon the centre of Brussels became too small. Besides, for Belgium the 19th century is the century of the industrial revolution. For Brussels this means that waterways as the Zenne River and the Maalbeek are used to transport industrial waste. Together with urban growth in the city and the agglomeration the waterways soon become open sewage systems. By the second half of the 19th century, they had become a serious health hazard and they were filled with pollution, garbage and decaying organic matter.
Various plans of urban development were introduced in Brussels and the agglomeration. Most important projects were the vaulting of the Zenne river in the city centre, the creation of the Leopold and Louisa quarter and the vaulting of the Maalbeek.
Vaulting the Maalbeek in 1872 changed the landscape dramatically, before 1872 there were 58 ponds along the stream the area was largely rural. The ponds were used for fishery, the surrounding land was agricultural land. After vaulting the river and draining some of the ponds the urbanization process of the Maalbeek area continued. Only six ponds are left: the ponds of the Abbey of Ter Kameren; of Elsene (two); of Leopold Park; of Marie-Louise Square; and of Josaphat Park. Today, the remaining water features in the above mentioned parks have low ecological quality. Vaulting the rivers wasn’t the best solution, parts of the valley are still dealing with problems of managing rain water due to high degree of sealed surface and covered streams.
What is the future of the Maalbeek, how do we see new urban waterways in the Maalbeek Valley, what are further developments in the urban water cycle, which are the projects that we can imagine ourselves to improve the quality of public space, how can we integrate the cycle of water in this urban territory.
During the first part of the workshop students will make a survey, analysis and synthesis of the Maalbeek Valley. The second part will focus on selected sites with high potential for the development of a sustainable diverse urban landscape.
During the workshop we will focus on specific objectives:
- analysis of natural / rural / urban landscape situation assessment of valuable historical landscape elements
- assessment of valuable historical landscape elements
- instruments of landscape protection and development
- quality of life, housing and recreation for residents/hosts
- sustainable use and conservation of natural resources
- developing land use for housing, production and services
- landscape planning levels and design topics for studio work
- involvement of stakeholders in planning process and student work
Some links about Brussels
http://www.sustainablecity.be/
http://www.biponline.be/~biponlin/?q=bip-info
http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/4909
http://www.brussels.irisnet.be/living-in-brussels/urban-development/planning
http://www.brusselsstudies.be/en/brussels-studies-the-e-journal-for-academic-research-on-brussels