A research project to uncover the potential of community co-ownership of idle buildings.
As part of the WELCOMIN research project in Brussels, Belgium, Kristen Zupancic (Plot Twist Placemaking), Angelos Chouliaras, and Elina Kränzle, explored the potential of community ownership to revitalize the vacant Metropol building and the surrounding Marais Wiels area. In response to growing competition for affordable space amid speculative urban development, the team proposed Co-Ïncidence — a mixed-use educational space rooted in co-creation, co-ownership, and phased activation. Inspired by a natural ecosystem formed by a water leak on-site, the project reimagines vacancy as an opportunity for community-led, ecological urban regeneration.
2023
