Developing close encounters in …

… The upper city: Mont des Arts & European Quarter

Sofie Vermeulen

Outline

Brussels: socio-spatial fragmentationThe European QuarterThe ‘Mont des Arts’ or ‘Museum Quarter’Discussion

1.

Canal2. Arts-EU

3. Universities

European quarter

Setting

Public spaces - fragmented

European quarter

Setting : division: centre – periphery; border = small ring road 0,95 km² - low density (1.743 inhabitants, 2006)

Functions & facilities: public transport hub

(> 10 buslines, 3 metro stations, 2 railway-stations, taxi stop)

office space density = very high >< BCR-average restaurants, shops, bars,… : upper-class clientele touristic & scientific actors

(Museum for Natural Sciences, Wiertz-museum, …)

social & health facilities = scarce

PopulationEvolution population in EU-wijk 1981-2001

Source: COSMOPOLIS (2009)

3434

2206

1645 1743

1767

13371074 1165

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1981 1991 2001 2006

year

# in

hab

itan

ts

# inhabtitants

households

Age structure EU-quarter in % (2006)Source: COSMOPOLIS, 2009

24

6,7

17,2

32,8

19,3

4,7

13,4

6

28,8

38,1

13,6

2,4

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

0-19 years

20-24 years

25-34 years

35-59 years

60 years + older

80 years + older

share in population (%)

EU-quarter

BCR average

Population: ↓ since ‘80s until 2001 (-35%) – since then slight Age structure: very high share in 35-59 years old compared with BCR

(36,1%, 2006)

Population

Share Belgian - non-Belgians in EU-quarter in % (2006)Source: Cosmopolis, 2009

0,04

0,03

0,02

0,02 0,01 0,01

0,11non-Belgians

0,04

Belgians

Belgians

French

Maroccans

Italians

Spanish

Portugese

Turkish

Polish

Other Other: people from Germany, Greece, Austria, UK, Sw eden, Russia, Filipines, Japan, Algeria, USA, ...

Belgian & non-Belgian population EU-quartercompared with averages BCR in % (NIS, 2006)

45,454,6

73,1

26,9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Belgians non-Belgians

am

ou

nt

(in

%)

EU-quarter

BCR average

Socio-economic situation

Housing: prices 4x (!) between 1990-1995

pushing factor on Matongé neighbourhood

Employment: unknown: working state of 25% of inhabitants (!) (Socio-economische enquête, 2001) ± 50.000 EU-related employees (Demey, 2007)

Income: average income/declaration = high <> average BCR

(€31.272/year) source:FOD Financiën, 2003

European- quarter

Diagnosis : 30 years laissez-faire office

construction poor quality of architecture & public spaces

mono-functional zone: yes & no

development = focused on USERS/EU-elite …(terraces, restaurants, bars, shops, … close in the evening & during

weekend) >< use & population = diverse & complex

Challenge : enclave + emptying of

neighbourhood

Improving urbanity

Opening up towards city: + Interaction EU-Bxl + Acceptance of EU + positive image of EU

Possible wireless applications … … in connected public spaces?

Mont des Arts - Museum-Quarter

Museum quarter - setting

Museum quarter

Setting: division: up town >< down town 0.69 km² - very low density - (294 inhabitants, 2006)

Functions & facilities: ± 16 museums on 3.000m² 7 art shops & 6 cafés/restaurants scientific actors (Royal Library, General Archive, …) congress hall (opening planned in Sept 2009) vacant space: intermediate zones

Population

Population: ↓ since ‘80s until 2001 (-35%) – since then rather steady Households: ↓ since ’80s general increase in smaller households Age structure: very high share in 35-59 years old >< BCR (32,8%)

Population

Share of Belgian and non-Belgian population inMont des Arts-neighbourhood in % (2006)

Source: Cosmopolis, 2009

4,1

4

2,7

1,9

1,6

1,1

1 27,1

43,5 56,5

Belgians

French

Maroccans

Italians

Spanish

Portugese

Turkish

Polish

Other

Belgians non-Belgians

Other: people from Germany, Greece, Austria, UK, Sweden, Russia, Filipines, Japan, Algeria, USA, ...

Belgian & non-belgian population Museum quarter compared with averagdes BCR in % (2006)

Source: Cosmopolis, 2009

56,5

43,5

73,1

26,9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Belgians non-Belgians

shar

e in

to

tal p

op

ula

tio

n n

eig

hb

ou

rho

od

(%

)

Mont des Arts

BCR-average

Socio-economic situation

Population & Housing: only 300 inhabitants strong statistical fluctuation mainly instiutions

Employment: Mainly in public sector (50%) income: = high <> average BCR

(average income/declaration: €36.333/year source: FOD Financiën, 2003)

Future development: (International Development Plan, 2007)

Show window on Brussels (BIP): visitors & tourists; local trade Prestigious Museum quarter Congress centre (SQUARE – under construction) Commercial Neighbourhood

EU-quarter Museum-quarter

Residents + users Architecture & public spaces

of poor quality Mono functionality: offices ><

complex & diverse functioning

Challenge: Emptying space Opening up neighbourhood via

public space Avoid exclusion Connecting public space:

Area de passage - USERS Low # inhabitants Mono functionality: museum,

art shops, … BUT scientific actors, public space for youth,

Challenge & future plans … ‘Show window’

which identity of Bxl ? Congress place Include scientific actors? …

EU quarter: Public spaces

Discussion

Hypotheses: Free wireless access + full coverage No increased health impacts

Possibilities of applications in EU-quarter? Examples: USE-IT?

Possibilities of applications in Museum-quarter? Examples: Berlin – interactive hike former wall, …

Policy options? …

Thanks for your attention

sofie.vermeulen@vub.ac.be