They’re all over Brussels: dozens of citizen initiatives have been taken in order to transform the city and develop the urban space. But are they being taken seriously? Do they have the ears of decision-makers? How do historical organizations such as BRAL, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles (IEB) and ARAU position themselves with regard to these citizen movements? The situation seems to be changing and participation seems to be increasingly on the programme, despite the fact that territorial planning mechanisms are still deeply rooted.

With issues relating to the climate, mobility, sustainable food supplies and other concerns linked to a different way of looking at the economic and social development of our societies, more and more individuals want to make their voices heard and representative democracy no longer seems to be the only way for them to express themselves. Witness the climate demonstrations: in the opinion of the people, political decision-makers are clearly not going far enough, fast enough. This desire to make their voices heard also concerns the planning of the city, the use of public and green spaces, housing, mobility, and much more. Instead of making demands or opposing, as provided for in urban-planning regulations, among other things through public inquiries and possible appeals, the citizens of Brussels are mobilizing their capacity for action by setting up concrete but also reflexive projects with an eye on building the city differently.