Osmos Network – Transversal planning and development

Our new website is currently in development.

Together, with you we:

Define stories

Facilitate collaborations

Grow communities

Foster sustainability

Brussels

brussels [at] osmosnetwork.com
CCN Building, 80 Rue du progrès
1030 Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam

amsterdam [at] osmosnetwork.com
Jacob Van Lennepkade 205H
1054ZP Amsterdam, Netherlands

Whoop whoop (or shall we say wood wood 😊)! we j

Whoop whoop (or shall we say wood wood 😊)! we just have wrapped up Europe's 1st Local Wood Sunmit 🌳

A bit empty setting here as we have our community gather digitally. But nevertheless happy to exchange with this inspiring bunch of initiatives.

@sonianwoodcoop @connectingnature @urbanwoodnetworkwest @naturaurbis @waldenproject @francescagualino @annavanre @stephankampelmann @adrianvickeryhill @boispublic

Europe’s first local wood summit, helping to bui

Europe’s first local wood summit, helping to build a stronger link between the local source of wood and cities. Jump onto www.sonianwoodcoop.be for more info and the program. Supported by @sonianwoodcoop @connectingnature @osmosnetwork
#wood #urbanmanufacturing #circulareconomy #localeconomy

Launching the @sonianwoodcoop pop-up today. Here a

Launching the @sonianwoodcoop pop-up today. Here a little warm-up woodworking workshop at @circularium.brussels with @waldenproject @stephankampelmann @annavanre

Isala, an excellent initiative, a first citizen sc

Isala, an excellent initiative, a first citizen science project to catalogue and map the vaginal microbiome by a female lead research team at UAntwerp. This depends on the contributions of over 5000 volunteers requiring a crystal clear communications campaign. This is a swab kit that was mailed to all the 5000+ participants.
#letsswab
@isala_uantwerp

Toi dans une serre... pour faire quoi? How can a g

Toi dans une serre... pour faire quoi?
How can a greenhouse be implemented as a catalyst for sustainable urban transition? #serredebockstael #participatiebus

So let's talk about "binnengebied ontwikkeling" at

So let's talk about "binnengebied ontwikkeling" at your back yard. .
With @veld.work and @atelier__horizon we are supporting the municipality of Zele to propose an urban development project in the heart of the town. How do the direct neihbours -as experts of the everyday reality- feel about making the inner space public, greening the inner area, presence of water, play areas, food production and not to forget parking...

#blackouttuesday

#blackouttuesday

Belgium - even on a blue sky the clouds are always

Belgium - even on a blue sky the clouds are always around the corner.

Back in Sarajevo, to talk about community, resourc

Back in Sarajevo, to talk about community, resource management, environmental stewardship and public space design via community gardens.
#naturebasedsolutions #Sarajevo #Bosnia #communitygardens @connectingnature

We’re back on the road, in Burgas, almost as far

We’re back on the road, in Burgas, almost as far east as you can get in Europe before falling in the Black Sea. While we’re supporting the city look at the redevelopment of a park, the focus is on transition strategies that can build back community #participation in public space. We’ve learnt that since the communist period, residents have become increasingly isolated which means that much rests on the shoulders of public authorities that are also strapped for resources. #naturebasedsolutions #connectingnature @connectingnature

How to touch base in masterplan development? That

How to touch base in masterplan development? That was what @veld.work asked us for their research on a new administrative center for @heistopdenberg.
We camped in Heist's public space for 2 days, faced a storm and went home with more than 150 interviews. 🤓

Better accessibility for the elderly, more privacy, maintaining (free) parking in the center and a strong appreciation for the already built tissu... is what the Heistenaar is concerned about. 🔊 chrome - ratatat

Got there! Over €15000 to kick-start the Sonian

Got there! Over €15000 to kick-start the Sonian Wood Coop, to keep this wonderful woody resource local. The ambition is now to use locally the 20,000m3 of timber produced by the forest each year. Do you have any ideas? Contact the coop through www.sonianwoodcoop.be
Many thanks to all the contributors and wonderful media coverage - @bruzzbe @thebulletinbe @rtbf @bral.brussels
#keepitlocal #sonianwood #sonianwoopcoop

Bon courage au quartier Stalingrad. Le chantier a

Bon courage au quartier Stalingrad. Le chantier a démarré... #wishfulthinking #metro3 #capitalenchantier

A new forest. These guys look so proud because th

A new forest.

These guys look so proud because they just finished planting dozens of trees in what they hope will become the new Bosque Urbano de Málaga (Urban Forest Malaga). This is happening on a giant brownfield that was formerly occupied by the Spanish petrol giant repsol.

While the city authorities have plans to develop the land, a dynamic platform of civil society organisation has dreamt up the possibility that these trees could grow into a forest for the local community.

#localwood #malaga #costadesol #bosqueurbano #bosqueurbanomalaga #urbanforest #naturebasedsolutions #ilovebrussels #woodworks #naturephotography #ixelles #localeconomy #localwood #placemaking #brussels #naturelovers #craftsrevival #onzenatuur #deboswachters #woodworks #ebenisterie #carpentrylife #woodShop #handmade #keepitlocal #workshop #urbanlumber #newlifeforoldtrees #urbanlumbermovement #urbanlumbernetwork

Good morning Malaga ☕🌞 #malaga #connectingnat

Good morning Malaga ☕🌞 #malaga #connectingnature #placemaking #streetphotography #costadesol #osmostrips

Durable infrastructure. That spark of light comes

Durable infrastructure.

That spark of light comes from the Torre de Hercules in A coruna, Spain.

It was build by the Romans in the first century. Two thousand years later the sturdy lighthouse is still up and running.

Can you think of a piece of modern urban infrastructure that will last more than a couple of centuries?

#acoruna #galicia #torredehercules #infrastructure #urbanhistory #urbanplanning #sustainablecities

Guessed correctly? Wood cut from Brussels’ Sonia

Guessed correctly? Wood cut from Brussels’ Sonian Forest is shipped across the world to Asia!! Absurd while our carpenters are sourcing their wood from Sweden, Canada and even Asia! Read more via the link in our bio.
#keepitlocal #sonianforest
@stephankampelmann @waldenproject @annavanre @adrianvickeryhill

Let's distract car drivers! Brussels struggles to

Let's distract car drivers!

Brussels struggles to accommodate its demographic growth. But now there is a solution! We place big and flashy ad screen on literally every crossing of avenue Louise.

Like in Mother Nature, the attention-grabbing screens weed out the weaklings: the sick and old, kids, inexperienced cyclists... There is a catch though. Since the screens consume so much electricity, we will never meet our own climate targets. Well, you can't have it all... #mobility #belgiansolutions #placemaking #brussels #avenuelouise #jcdecaux #almostfakenews

The Sonian Forest in spring. On the left younger b

The Sonian Forest in spring. On the left younger beech, on the right older trees. The beech grow voraciously compared to chestnut or oak. To manage diversity, the larger beech are selectively cut. Annually some 2-4000 cubic metres is cut and sold on the market primarily for furniture. Do you know where it ends up?
@annavanre @stephankampelmann @adrianvickeryhill @waldenproject
#keepitlocal #sonianforest #forestdesoignes #zonienwoud

New artwork by Christo in Brussels? #placemaking #

New artwork by Christo in Brussels?
#placemaking #ilovebrussels #contemporaryart #christo #capitalenchantier

Wood from Brussels’ Sonian Forest is cut each ye

Wood from Brussels’ Sonian Forest is cut each year, including tons of high quality beech. Do you know where it ends up? You’d be surprised...
#localwood #localeconomy #brussels #sonianforest #keepitlocal @waldenproject @stephankampelmann @annavanre

Into the wild - here Martin is crouching on a pile

Into the wild - here Martin is crouching on a pile of cherry wood, behind him is a stand beech, this is the Sonian Forest in Brussels, which was once planted by the Austrians hundreds of years ago for timber. Today it is one of Europe’s largest urban forests and it is still cut, selectively, to encourage greater diversity. #wood #Soignes #Zonian #keepitlocal @waldenproject @stephankampelmann @annavanre @adrianvickeryhill

After a small hiatus, working on things behind the

After a small hiatus, working on things behind the scenes, Osmos is back. The topic is wood. We’ll have lots more on this over the coming weeks. @stephankampelmann @annavanre #Brussels #wood #keepingitlocal #osmosnetwork

‘So what do you think about the “Circular Econ

‘So what do you think about the “Circular Economy”?’ A wee sketch that didn’t quite make it to a book on the circular economy.

Osmos gets besustainable.brussels! After years of

Osmos gets besustainable.brussels! After years of grassroots institutional work the platform is launched! Check out the website. Great collaboration with BUUR and Bruxelles Environnement / Leefmilieu Brussel. @annavanre @adrianvickeryhill

Aaaah...no more post-its!!! Osmos is back on the r

Aaaah...no more post-its!!!
Osmos is back on the road in Malaga, Connecting Nature.
Here making hard choices to focus on a few things, using our interpretation of the KJ technique. A nice result.
@connectingnature @annavanre @adrianvickeryhill

Cute placemaking idea from #Paris - instead of a h

Cute placemaking idea from #Paris - instead of a hipster pop-up bar, a summer games space that bubbles out of a container.

Damn, we should have got into the garden material

Damn, we should have got into the garden material business! : )

We’re doing a gig with a public institution on s

We’re doing a gig with a public institution on socio-ecological transitions. In practice this means learning how things work from the inside out. We’ve ended up spending the day talking compost with testy teenagers, which was quite an adventure but totally entertaining! Respect for teachers doing this on a daily basis!!!

What a re-treat! Our Amsterdam meet-up was closed

What a re-treat! Our Amsterdam meet-up was closed by the wonderful Samira’s Blues at the Wunderkammer. Divine Saharan desert tunes with a local twist. www.samirasblues.com @erichaas2708

Our 2019 retreat at the Wunderkammer in Amsterdam.

Our 2019 retreat at the Wunderkammer in Amsterdam. @erichaas2708 thanks for bring the host-est with the most-est!

Searching for osmosis. @erichaas2708 @adrianvicker

Searching for osmosis. @erichaas2708 @adrianvickeryhill

The ‘green line’ in Nicosia... #naturebasedsol

The ‘green line’ in Nicosia... #naturebasedsolutions to a whole new level.

OSMOS on show in #Burgas. Bulgarian holiday centra

OSMOS on show in #Burgas. Bulgarian holiday central and the country’s main industrial port, sitting on a very pretty lake system. Fun times for #naturebasedsolutions.

#Sarajevo’s new cable car is a raging success, f

#Sarajevo’s new cable car is a raging success, flying up 700m above the smog and bustle of the old city into the 84 winter olympics bobsled run. After over two decades since the old cablecar was destroyed by the war, the hills are opened up again for tourism. Is that such a good idea? If so, what is the tourism that Sarajevo wants? Clearing the forest for ski slopes hotels driven by cheap flights could have nasty unintended consequences...

Sarajevo, its winter, its air pollution time...fro

Sarajevo, its winter, its air pollution time...from old diesel cars and coal/wood fired heating. Any #naturebasedsolutions ? @connectingnature

Did someone say there was a ‘parking problem’

Did someone say there was a ‘parking problem’ in Sarajevo? ; )

From Brussels to Sarajevo via Zagreb on the cutest

From Brussels to Sarajevo via Zagreb on the cutest of planes, never felt quite so close to the ground when we hit the tarmac.

Food is such a foundation for dialogue, no matter

Food is such a foundation for dialogue, no matter how simple it is. Here a tortellini workshop in a market in Bologna.

We were spoilt by our meeting venue in Bologna. OK

We were spoilt by our meeting venue in Bologna. OK, this was the atmosphere in the next room but still it was rather opulent!

Keep updated

Over the coming months, Osmos will be going through a big update. Sign up to our (very occasional) newsletter to learn about what we’re doing, what we’re learning, interesting events and opportunities for collaboration.