On the week of the 18th of March, the chair of Brussels Studies Institute took place. In that context, we were happy to welcome Raquel Rolnik, a professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at University of São Paulo. During a week, Raquel Rolnik shared her insights from over 45 years of critical scholarship, activism and practical experience in planning, urban land and housing policies.
During that week, Rolnik joined our design studio session on the 19th of March for a lecture on “Abandonment and homelessness: the role of counterspaces“. Thinking from the Roofless movement of Sao Paolo, Rolnik discussed unconventional approaches to urban order, and how occupying can transform spaces to meet community needs. She spoke of the necessity of having a city that is not built for capital, but that instead aims to create “landscapes for life”. In the making of these landscapes, Rolnik emphasized the importance of participatory processes over end products.
After this lecture, Rolnik sat with the students in a studio session, giving specific feedback to different groups on their prospective design work. Based on five case studies, the students are designing Brussels in 2044. They shared their ideas and difficulties with Rolnik, who was able to grant solutions rooted in her years of experience in Brazil.
Part of the BSI Chair – Organised by Brussels Studies Institute & Citydev Brussels. Coordinated by Nele Aernouts (VUB).
