After the 2017 MasterClass which focused on the issues of social inclusion and hospitality of urban environments, Metrolab organises its second MasterClass called “Designing Brussels Ecosystems”, addressing urban ecology and more specifically urban ecosystems.
The Metrolab Brussels’ MasterClasses are conceived as two-week intensive pedagogical and practical experimentations on urban situations. Lead by Metrolab, the MasterClasses bring students, researchers, professors, local actors and professionals from different fields to reflect together on a specific theoretical issue, on the basis of selected empirical cases. In return, their work is meant to provide possible contributions for the improvement of these situations. The observations, analyses and strategies are conducted according to a methodology and targets proposed by Metrolab and other local and international experts. This implies the direct interplay with the projects chosen as cases, and hence with the related local and regional actors.
The MasterClass Designing Brussels Ecosystems represents the second step of the Brussels Ecosystems event started with the conference hold on October 18-19th 2018.
The two different events included in Brussels Ecosystems aim to complete each other:
- The conference explored various ways in which the concept of ecosystem can be shaped in order to allow the encounter between concepts - which are often metaphorical in nature - and methods derived from them, thus creating an integrated framework for analysis.
- The MasterClass' intention is to put this process to test, starting from the realities of Brussels and the intercultural profiles of the 30 participants coming from international universities. To learn more about this MasterClass, read the Guidebook we prepared for participants.
While waiting for the MasterClass film, you can watch this video to know how we have prepared the MasterClass and relive the Brussels Ecosystems conference and workshops:
In October, Brussels Ecosystems conference initiated - with public, associative and private stakeholders - an analysis of the problematics linked to those topics. To know more about contents and process visit the conference page.
The MasterClass will continue with this multi-level analysis to explore the problematics and paradoxes previously identified with a focus on different cases including projects funded by the ERDF programme for 2014-2020.
Here some video contributions from the local stakeholders with whom we are collaborating to achieve this event:
Catherine Fierens (BoerenBruxselPaysans)
Emilie Gobbo (BBSM - Le bâti Bruxellois)
Jo Huygh (Abattoir)
Maarten Dieryck (Bel Akker - Groot Eiland)
Marc Renson (Irisphère - CityDev)
Myriam Stoffen & Sandrine Tonnoir (Masui4ever - Zinneke)
Vincent Schrurs (La Halle Libelco)
