Brussels FvLab, Presentation

The Gray Street is located at the bottom of the Maelbeek Valley, in Ixelles (one of Brussels municipalities). This street is home to several social housing units and low-rent housing. Many of the residents of the street live on the ground floor or in cellars, which are regularly flooded due to sewage backflow. In addition, many dwellings have recurrent problems with dampness due to rising groundwater. Residents complain of health concerns related to this situation.

Several structural problems associated to complex social situations in the street lead to the exhaustion of the inhabitants, who lose confidence in the local policies. This Fairville lab is based on the idea that urban policies should not be developed "for" the people but rather "with" them, in order to value their local expertise and to fully respond to their needs.