Neighborhood contracts for urban revitalization

Transcription

1 Bruno Clerbaux Chambre des Urbanistes de Belgique ECTP-CEU General Assembly April , Budapest Neighborhood contracts for urban revitalization A tool for integrated urban development in Brussels Capital Region

2 Overview Introduction to the Contrats de Quartiers (Neighborhood Contracts) Why does Brussels need it? Multi-cultural context in Brussels and main objectives of the Neighborhood contracts How does it work? Planning, stakeholders and finances What does it look like? Some examples to illustrate the integrated approach of Neighborhood Contract projects The Neighborhood Contracts - a success story?

3 Why does Brussels need it?

4 Why does Brussels need it? Brussels, a city of cultural and economic contrasts The dual city : concentration of strong socioeconomic inequalities Poverty pockets in the city center since 19th century : bourgeoisie leaves the city center to live in the outskirts 60 : industrial sector crisis => creation of «poverty pockets» in the city center that accumulate significant handicaps: economically disadvantaged inhabitants, abandoned workshops, run down public space Socio-economic level of neighborhoods in Brussels Capital Region Wealthy neighborhoods Very low Low Average High Very high

5 Brussels, a city of cultural and economic contrasts Why does Brussels need it? Brussels, a cosmopolitan city : 70% of the population is of foreign origin (including naturalized citizens) Three types of communities that require different urbanistic answers : Belgians : French-speaking (Walloon) and Dutchspeaking (Flemish) both communities use the city as capital => creation of the metropolitan community Eurocrat-immigrants : Brussels as European capital => Beliris political and financial agreement assures federal contribution to urban projects in the metropolitan area but lack of implication of international organization into matters of spatial planning Working class-immigrants => Neighborhood contracts European neighborhood in Brussels

6 Why does Brussels need it? The urbanistic answer to social and cultural fragmentation Change of mentality : from «Bruxellisation» to «revitalization» Until 70 : urban development focused on «bulldozer operations» : destruction and re-construction of high office buildings, mainly in the city center 1989 : Brussels becomes a region (federal power conception), defines new objectives of urban development : Construction or renovation of housing Upgrading the quality of public space Actions for social cohesion Promote intellectual and physical appropriation of urban space Creation of the Contrats de Quartiers (Neighborhood Contract, NC) 1993: first ordonnance (ordinance) that creates a crosscutting renovation mechanism, called Contrats de Quartiers Since 2010 : Contrats de Quartiers Durables (sustainable) : environment becomes a transversal objective, strengthens citizens participation The Manhattan -neighborhood close to the Northern central station, an example for Bruxellisation -approach

7 Why does Brussels need it? Main objectives of the Neighborhood Contracts Neighborhood Contract = a program of urban revitalization focused on neighborhoods that concentrate infrastructural, economic difficulties, largely populated by poor immigrants Housing Public facilities Five interrelated fields of intervention Social cohesion as a central axis that encompasses projects for intercultural understanding, integration and professional training Environment Public Spaces Social cohesion

8 Why does Brussels need it? Main objectives of the Neighborhood Contracts Identifying the territory of intervention Strong social inequalities : high unemployment rate, deprivation, Poorly equipped, small, substandard housing Unattractive living environment : run down facades, lack of green spaces, abandoned buildings Feeling of insecurity and weak social ties The Neighborhood Contracts territoires in Brussels Capital Region

9 How does it work?

10 How does it work? Planning, stakeholders and finance A 4-year-program implemented within 3 phases Program Operational phase Finalisation Year 0 Before the operational phase, 1 year is dedicated to analyze the needs of the territory and elaborate the program. Years 1 to 4 The operational phase of the Neighborhood Contracts takes 4 years : construction, environmental and socioeconomic projects. Years 5 and 6 When the operational phase comes to its end, two more years allow to complete certain projects. 4 financial actors : Brussels Region Beliris Communes (co-finance minimum 5% of the program) Certain projects might include other actors, public or private Each year, 4 new Neighborhood Contracts are launched Financial contribution of the main actors for the NC launched in 2014

11 How does it work? Planning, stakeholders and finance Integration of relevant actors into the conception and implementation process through the neighborhood commission (commission de quartier): define objectives and follow the projects In order to avoid juxtaposed local and regional choices and promote a transversal vision of city development: -> Vertical cooperation Region Municipality Citizens -> Horizontal cooperation Economic representatives Associative representatives Educational sector Public social service Composition of the neighborhood commission

12 How does it work? Citizens participation Information Participation General assemblies : open to everybody ; held at least 3 times during program elaboration and twice a year during the implementation Participation Neighborhood commission : 8 inhabitants represent the inhabitants in the commission who are elected at the first GA Information Walks, visits, discussions, Workshops, : informal activities that are based on citizen s participation Public enquiry (enquête publique) : organised by the municipality to inform and hear citizen s on a concrete project

13 What does it look like? - Examples of Neighborhood Contracts and projects

14 What does it look like? NC : Canal Midi Commune : Anderlecht Total budget : ,00 Period : Against individualised and rented housing Families own the appartement Rooms reserved for neighborhood activites The neighborhood The CLT owns the ground Project : Community Land Trust Housing Social Cohesion Appropriation - First community Land Trust in Brussels has been initiated by the NC Canal- Midi - Housing project reserved for lowincome households - Families own their apartment, the community owns the ground - Spaces available for neighborhood activities - Strengthen ties between inhabitants

15 What does it look like? NC : Reine-Progrès Commune : Schaerbeek Total budget : ,37 Period : Project : Sustainable mobility and clean public spaces Public Space Appropriation - Mobility - Develop cycling infrastructure - Raise awareness for sustainable mobility and cleanliness in public spaces Places of interest Sustainable mobility Network Regional cycling Network PRM network Green walking trail

16 What does it look like? NC : Scheut Commune : Koekelberg Total budget : ,37 Period : Project : Reduce energy consumption Sustainability Integration Housing - Help poor households reduce energy consumption through an energy diagnosis, reparations and interventions carried out by an association (Bricoteam) and the public social service (CPAS) - To implement the project, the association engaged to integrate job seekers into the project, in order to improve their skills and facilitate their integration into the job market

17 What does it look like? NC : Jardin aux fleurs Commune : Bruxelles Total budget : ,14 Period : Project : Housing, public facilities and park renovation Housing Social and functional mixing Green spaces - Construction of 65 housing units integrating a child care service, space for restaurant trade and a new sports court - Directly related with the renovation of a park at the backside of the building housing park

18 What does it look like? NC : Helmet Commune : Schaerbeek Total budget : ,37 Period : Project : Renovation consulting Sustainability Empowerment - An architect consultant is available to help inhabitants be aware of energy consumption, to inform about financial subsidies allocated for renovation works on their homes, facilitate exchange with the municipal urbanism service, evaluate first-cost assumptions, give advise on technical issues - Specific information about the rights and duties of inhabitants towards the owner, security and sanitary issues, etc - Other urbanistic tools to protect vulnerable citizens: reglementation on the division of houses (measure against slumlords = marchands de sommeil)

19 What does it look like? NC : Masui Commune : Bruxelles Total budget : ,66 Period : Project : Public gardening Integration Multiculturality Green space - Upgrading of public park with playground area for kids and teenagers, a place to picnic and adults game area - A part of the park will be used to develop a common vegetables garden, managed by an association and used by the inhabitants

20 What does it look like? NC : Coteaux Josaphat Commune : Schaerbeek Total budget : ,50 Period : Project : Support and social integration for teenager immigrants Multiculturality Integration Training - Academic support for youngsters between 12 and 15 that arrived in Belgium within the last 3 years - Integrate them into activities such as sport and cultural events, holiday programs, - Many Neighborhood Contracts include projects for alphabetization

21 The Neighborhood Contracts a success story?

22 The NC a success story? Figures and facts Achievements between 1994 and housing units Social food supply Health Youth Parks Child care Education 90 public facilities Sport Space for sociocultural activities Rooms for citizens encounters Qualitative changes are more difficult to measure : Social cohesion? Cultural integration?

23 The NC a success story? Potential of NC as an urbanistic social tool Originality of the Neighborhood Contracts consists in social and economic actions based upon the associative sector and citizen participation Belgian compromise between communitarian principle (British example) and assimilation principle (French example) Broadens the approach from simple rehabilitation, focused on physical improvement, towards revitalization that takes into account social initiatives, fight against poverty, and social cohesion Allows to concentrate efforts on hot spots, avoid finances being spread too thinly Enhances the cooperation of different partners : private, public, associations ; promotes new and innovative partnerships (e.g. in the field of professional insertion linked to revalorization of public spaces) Inclusion of inhabitants problems and interests through participation process : solutions are conceived on the most local level, proximity => The Neighborhood Contracts break down the barriers between sectorial policies and recompose them locally and transversally

24 The NC a success story? Limits and questions Until now, only a few projects are truly transversal connecting urbanistic revalorization to social/cultural integration Problem of durability : 4 years, and then? Neighborhood Contracts rather give an impulsion for development that needs to be carried on by private actors Neighborhood Contracts and structural economic/social problems? Development is not exclusively under control of public policies but depends on private initiatives and socio-economic dynamics Urban revitalization can make symptoms of social marginalization less visible but difficult to act upon its structural causes Should urbanistic policies directly respond to social change or should we leave time to time? Participation : mainly middle class represented ; expectations versus reality; tension between information participation decision The Neighborhood Contracts, a trigger of gentrification? Social mixing versus social eviction ; integration principle versus mixed principle An image policy that pacifies central districts, making them look more secure/clean for new users, investors and residents of the middle class The few studies on the impact of Neighborhood Contracts show a social change in the district, indicating socially selective migration processes More democracy due to more choice of territory? What freedom of choice of environment for whom?

25 Thank you!