Abstract in English

Forum
Potager Portal
French version
 Brochure  (French, pdf, 1.5 Mo)

Urbanisation has accelerated these last decades in Europe and world-wide. This phenomenon is posing unprecedented challenges in terms of sustainable development, for example in the areas of transportation, management of natural and cultural heritage, food security, and energy use.

Current urban development projects are focused on sustainability. In Brussels, the regional revitalisation policies of disadvantaged neighbourhoods, the growing importance of environmental and life quality criteria or the Sustainable Neighbourhood operation are a few examples of such initiatives.

Encouraged by this favourable context and inspired by Luc Schuiten's green vision of the city of tomorrow, we wish to develop urban agriculture in Brussels, with a focus on Anderlecht, the neighbourhood in which we are settled. Urban vegetable gardens and green roofs meet numerous sustainability requirements in big cities. Urban gardens make neighbourhoods greener and more pleasant, supply residents with fresh, quality produce, reduce distance that food has to travel (food miles), favour and conserve biodiversity, and offer opportunities for neighbours to meet up and build a community. Urban food production contributes to the local economy by supporting local employment and revitalizing urban neighbourhoods. We also see urban gardening as a tool to sensitize and educate the inhabitants on agricultural and environmental issues, following Eco Innovation's educative activities.

Thanks to funding from the commune of Anderlecht and additional financial support, we will carry out two urban agriculture projects in 2010. Both projects will be implemented in the Anderlecht region of Brussels and will involve other local NGOs:

• We will convert the unexploited garden of the n° 31-33 rue du Chimiste into an agricultural, educative and recreational space for the inhabitants of Anderlecht. Eco Innovation will bring the agronomical and botanical skills required to put the garden in place. The residents will then manage it, and the local NGOs will organise visits, workshops, and activities to make it bloom!
• We will create a vegetable garden on the roof of the NGO La Rosée's building in Anderlecht. Agricultural use of roofs is very limited in Brussels Agricultural use of roofs is very limited in Brussels - but it’s a great use of space! To learn more about rooftop gardens, check out this link. The project clearly has an exemplary value and is aimed at spreading interest and knowledge about green roofs in Brussels, throughout the whole country and beyond.

We will integrate these projects in a wide network of collective or associative gardens in Brussels, to exchange knowledge and ideas and work together to create a green, sustainable future for Brussels!

Interested in our initiative?

Read our brochure (pdf 1.5 Mo, in French)

Leave your comments & suggestions on our project on this forum!

If you wish to sponsor or support our green roof project, contact us here. Eco Innovation is a not-for-profit organisation that welcomes donations (bank account 001-5165765-09).

>> See a French version of this page here