type
Assistance to owner (AMO)
Context
For several years, Brussels Environment (BE) has been pursuing a policy of meshing areas of play and sport within the public spaces of the Brussels-Capital Region. This policy began with the creation and management of both play and sports areas in the parks and green spaces managed by BE. It has since expanded with the production of numerous publications and more cross-sectoral reflections. On the whole, the network is intended to fit in with a vision of the sustainable city while restoring balance to areas lacking in play and sports facilities.
In the quest for greater quality, BE now seeks to upgrade its practices by promoting emulation around the theme, drawing inspiration from existing projects and good practices.
Mission
In order to stimulate reflection on the strategy and current projects, as well as to encourage exchanges between the various actors working on this theme, the mission included the organisation of three days of conferences for the general public. Following this, the programme envisages a series of visits to sites of interest for the reflection, intended for BE's internal staff.
Approach
The methodological objective, for both the conferences and the visits, has been to build a common culture around the theme of play and sport in the city. The conferences enabled the examination of several cross-cutting themes reflecting a number of present-day questions: how to integrate free play into projects, how to promote play both in and with nature, and how to foster inclusivity in the realm of play. These three themes, discussed in the morning with experts, were then examined in the afternoon with BE's internal project managers working on two strategic sites, Neerpede and Bon Pasteur, both of which were questioned in relation to each theme.