Laborious work? Inequality, inclusion, and circularity in the urban construction sector

We are excited to share that our research project group Re-building Brussels (https://www.vub.be/arch/project/rebuildingbrussels), is organizing a research seminar and afternoon workshop on Laborious work? Inequality, inclusion, and circularity in the urban construction sector (18th century – present). 

Aside from our own work, we are happy to share that we have great international guest speakers from London, Canada, and Italy. From an interdisciplinary perspective, they will discuss construction wages over time, reuse practices today, and the role of planning to facilitate manufacturing spaces in the circular city.

-see full program below-

As our seminar room for the morning is rather small, please confirm your presence at the morning session/lunch/afternoon workshop at the latest by November 1 to karoline.da.silva.rodrigues@vub.be (First come, first serve in case there is plenty of interest) 😉

Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research

Department of Geography &
Department of Architectural Engineering
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

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PROGRAMME

Welcome  (9h-9h15)
Introduction to IRP Re-building Brussels project David Bassens

(Session I)  The urban construction sector -18-21st century (9h15-13h) FabLab: USQ.F.1.A

Wages  and work stability in the eighteenth-century Brussels
Karoline da Silva Rodrigues (VUB)
Fireside chat: employment conditions over time
Judy Stephenson (UCL) & Luca Mocarelli (UNIMIB)

Coffee break

Brussels construction in transition: Circular skilling and labour market (re) integration
Jasmin Baumgartner (VUB)
Future-proofing the CR&D Sector? Exloring the opportunities and challenges of building (and unbuilding) in the Canadian city
Nicholas Lynch (MUN)
Finding space for circularity in London
Jessica Ferm (UCL)

Concluding remarks from the morning session

(Session II) Inclusion in today’s (circular) construction economy (14h-16h) USquare: U.A.0.03

Quantifying or qualifying the sectoral transition?
Data collection & definitions

Methodologies for policies
Learning from archival methodologies: Caroline Six (State Archives, Brussels)
Presentations from practice by: Construcity, Embuild & Actiris

Roundtable discussion: Inclusion and Employment
Urban employment patterns over time
Institutions & sectoral structures
Territorialization &  spaces for circular construction

Summary of the day

Concluding Drinks (16h-onwards)
Avenues for future collaboration