Some 100 young people in Brussels aged between 15 and 30 presented their ideas and proposals in the Brussels Parliament for the future of the capital on Sunday.
The Youth Coalition Molenbeek-Brussels2030 is part of the city’s candidacy to become the European Capital of Culture in 2030, and was organised by Brussels Parliament.
The 100 young Brussels residents were consulted intensively between 9 and 24 September in six thematic groups – on social cohesion, young people and communities, Brussels’ identity and culture, mobility, climate and nature, living conditions and urban planning and security in Brussels.
On Sunday, the groups presented their conclusions to a group of politicians, including Rachid Madrane, President of the Brussels Parliament, Elke Van den Brandt, Brussels Minister of Mobility, Public Works and Road Safety, Brussels Secretary of State Ans Persoons, and the chief of police for the Brussels North police zone.
Cohesion and culture
In terms of social cohesion, the young people called for, among other things, the regularisation of people without residence permits, more religious tolerance, including in schools where they call for the veil to be allowed, and campaigns to better inform young people about their rights. Brussels should also become trilingual.
The 'Molenbeek-Brussels2030 Youth Coalition', organised by the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region in Brussels on Sunday 24 September 2023. Credit: Belga / Anthony Gevaert
"Brussels is culturally a closed city," the members of the working group on culture and identity said. "All cultures live side by side. We want to tear down those walls and create a mishmash of all Brussels' identities and cultures, to come up with a new, modern version of the Brusseleir."
Culture must also become more accessible, they said, which could be done via an interactive platform where all information on cultural life in the capital could be found.
Climate and mobility
The core message of the mobility working group was a strengthening of public transport, with an expansion of the offer, both in terms of lines and hours, but also by making metro stations, tram and bus stops more accessible and lowering prices. There were also calls for citizens' meetings across the various municipalities that could identify mobility needs.
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"In terms of the environment and climate, a cultural change is needed," echoed the fourth group. "Education and awareness-raising on global warming and the environment must be enhanced. If Brussels becomes European Capital of Culture in 2030, all activities should not be carbon-neutral, but carbon-negative, and as much as possible should be 'local by design'."
Housing and security
The living conditions and urban planning working group stressed the need to reduce the housing shortage in the capital, calling for measures to renovate vacant (office) buildings faster and bring them onto the housing market, more effective housing inspection, and more accessible public spaces.
Finally, the last working group, security, called for more investment in cyber security, to better protect citizens' privacy, a return to more 'community policing' to reduce distrust between police and young people. Participants also called for a more women-friendly public space: "a map of all Brussels safe spaces could be useful in that area, as could a system of 'purple taxis', taxis that are free and provide safety for those in need."
