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Heist-op-den-Berg

Engaging stakeholders in the urban study for a new unified administrative centre.

Project: Heist-op-den-Berg

Client: Gemeente Heist Op Den Berg

Year: 2020-2021

Partners included: VELD, GRUE, PDG Real Estate Expertise, Traject

Location: Flanders

 

Team: Hanne Van ReuselLaurens Van der Cruyssen

Sector: Public space & community

Services: Facilitation of events, Strategic communication, User research & engagement

Why?   Heist-op-den-Berg is a 43.000 inhabitant municipality near Antwerp. Its public services are currently dispersed over the town’s central area. This creates confusion and thresholds for the public and cumbersome logistics for its staff. In order to improve the quality and accessibility of the municipal services, and to make the administration run more efficiently, the municipality investigated the option to build one unified administrative center for Heist. VELD and Osmos won the design competition organised by the Flemish public architect (the ‘bouwmeester’) to realise this urban study while engaging the various stakeholders

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What?  The urbanism office, VELD, investigated a range of different possible scenarios for the realisation of a unified administrative centre. They courageously opened up the options to debate to alternative, yet potentially relevant locations. Osmos supported in this scenario-based study by guiding VELD and the local municipality in the engagement of stakeholders and interest groups. Through guidance and a range of concrete actions we made sure inhabitants are informed and heard, while also facilitating the engagement of the municipal staff and council. Facing the beginning of the pandemic, Osmos supported the team in dynamically adapting the process. Through co-creation we made sure the municipality could maintain its exemplar position in respecting the often changing measures while being a watchdog on the authentic nature of the participation process.

How? Engagement was focused largely on dialogue moments and information fairs in public spaces. This occurred in during three moments. Firstly, before the design phase, to connect with underlying aspirations and tensions. During a series of days, we ‘camped’ in the public space adjoining one of the sites and simply spoke to residents. Secondly, to test scenarios developed by the architects. And finally to present the final programme. During these events we ran a series of exercises to avoid participants to provide constructive feedback and avoid participants from becoming distracted by other local issues. In general we were looking to understand underlying tensions and opportunities to ensure that the architects could find the most realistic and pragmatic design outcomes.

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Engaging stakeholders in the urban study for a new unified administrative centre.

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