Urban renewal is generally considered to be a strategic driver for local development and economic growth. Yet all too frequently it’s shaped according to economic rather than socio-cultural interests. Using Brussels’ Canal District as an entry point, we have decided to focus our approach on how urban regeneration may deter people from living in certain areas or cause locals to uproot from their neighbourhoods. The graphic elements we have designed for the frieze interact with the lines from the ceiling in the installation space and simulate a bar code—a visual metaphor that reminds the viewer that economic interests should not take a central role in urban transformation. This project suggests that the Canal District, and other neighbourhoods at risk of similar developments, should remain in communication with the rest of the city in order to preserve the valuable interpersonal exchange that happens on many different layers in Brussels, making it the interesting city it is.
