Kolenspoor City

An imaginary city with pencils and scissors
An effective collaboration between 300 people *Context

Exactly 25 years ago, the last coalmine of Limburg (Be) closed down. After the shutdown of Ford Genk in 2014, the Limburg municipalities understood more than ever that collaboration is necessary for a sustainable development of the region. The coaltrack (in dutch: kolenspoor), an underused relict f

rom the mining past that forms an important physical connection between meaningful places in central Limburg, was an incentive for the surrounding municipalities to join forces. From the premise that a cultural approach can foster awareness and involvement with the general public, Z33/Architectuurwijzer was invited to the table. In November 2016 the debates formalised in a Strategic Project with the goal to accelerate certain ambitions. At the same time, the involved authorities and Z33/Architectuurwijzer decided to address the local population and challenge them to think a possible future for their region. The goal was to research the way the political ambitions connected to what was living among the local population. The Italian design collective Space Caviar was invited and propose the idea to develop an urban design game as a regional experiment for the creation of a collective and self–determinate identity.

*Kolenspoor City

An imaginary city with pencils and scissors
An effective collaboration between 300 people

Looking at the independence of contemporary digital game communities, at the social impact of Italian historical sportive city programs and at design and educational practices with an open process of production, Space Caviar designed Kolenspoor City project –a temporary independent social framework where any citizen of the region could actively play a role while re-imagining step by step the existing geographies, infrastructures, economies and activities of their lands. The project uses the Incomplete City workshop, an open source format developed by Joseph Grima, Dan Hill and Marco Ferrari at the Bartlett School of Architecture. The workshop methodology sees the use of paper, pencils, scissors and copy machine drawing complex city systems starting from simple city elements. The methodology is applied, implemented and localised it in the context of Limburg, towards the development of a regional engaging game along the Kolenspoor coal track. The project began through assembling and guiding a temporary citizens group which is composed by local actors playing different roles —workshops guides, municipality facilitators and workshop players. From April to June 2017 around 300 people (inhabitants, members of local organisations, functionaries, local entrepreneurs, elderly people, children and students) participated in around 30 workshops in 6 municipalities (As, Genk, Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Beringen and Zonhoven), assembling their city imaginary around global challenges as energy production, innovative mobility and local production in spatial scenarios.

*Kolenspoor City Workshops

At the start of every workshop, participants were asked to list their pertinent questions concerning several sites around the track. Questions as “How can we promote nature tourism around the lake of Houthalen?”, “How could the reuse of industrial residual heat give a new identity to our business park?” or “How the centre of Zonhoven can be more accessible for elderly and children?” etc. In order to be able to answer in spatial scenarios, people composed a list of relevant urban elements, going from charging poles and electric bikes to drones or tiny houses. These were subsequently drawn in axonometry (or found in an growing atlas of elements), copied, cut out and composed into functional city clusters. The many collages of residential neighbourhoods, playgrounds, co-working spaces, terril landscapes … were at their turn sticked together so that a cityscape for each municipality originated.

*Kolenpoor City is a project by Space Caviar in collaboration with Z33/Architectuurewijzer.
*It uses the Incomplete City workshop format developed by Joseph Grima, Dan Hill and Marco Ferrari at the Bartlett School of Architecture.
*It was funded by the Flemish Government and
Strategic Project Kolenspoor.
*Realised by Martina Muzi (Space Caviar) and Ciel Grommen (Z33/Architectuurewijzer) in collaboration with
as workshop guides: Frank Vanden Ecker, Charlotte Timmers, Serife Mazak, Bert Villa, Frederic Schobben, Andrea Frieling;
as facilitators: Guy Vanderlinden, Paulien Parren, Paul Boutsen, Line Verbeke, Kim Vannes, Els Arnauts, Liesbeth Huybrechts, Frank Vanden Ecker, Carolina Charles en Miel Craegs
as participants: ... Participants — Heusden-Zolder: Betul Altin, Valère Ceyssens, Salih Durmaz, Stefan Elsen, Bijou Rohof, Funda Ilksoy, Öner Senel, Etienne Schouterden, Betul Mert, Dirk Plessers, Tom De Weyer, Tan Hafsenur, Heinz Bohnefeld, Leyla Elmaci, Gerd Reymen, Tom Michielsen, Godfried Stockmans, Roger Reeckmans, Leyla Mazak, Taisa Antonenko, Ingnace Schops, Marc Wauters, Esta Karki, Ludo Vanherle, Paul Coolen, Julie Maebe, Peggy Jacobs, Monique Van den Berg, Paul Boutsen. Genk: Claudio Cavaliere, Souliman van Het Vrije Veld, Johan Vanroye , Yarne en Robbe van Chiro Zwartberg, Nathalie Put, Debby Nivelle, Joachim De Wijs, Jan Nuyens, Alex Römer, Bert De Backer en Mascha van ConstructLab, Evert Jadoul, Rik Libot, Paul Olaerts, Fien Parren, Wim Govaerts, Wim Cardinaels, Pieter Vingerhoets, Line Verbeke, Straka Magda, Ruddy Pareyns, Andre Meus, Tom Byloos, Steven Liberloo, Silke Vandeputte, Judith Caeyers, Bjorn Vanden Abeel, Philip Vliegen, Sam Pennemans, Sander Nouwen, Rutger Micheels, Jonas Vandecan, Ine Poelmans, Viorel Acsinte, Julie Polus, Sofie Vleminck, Baillien Sarina, Engelbosch Judith, Michiels Kristien, Puttevils Kaatje, Jana Claesen, Laura Enkels , Esmée Hof, Jelle Potters, Pieter Vandekerkhof, Lasse Willems, Moftah Ramy - Raemaekers Jakob - Sommen Brecht, Coemans Simon , Eurlings Olivie, Van Cleef Ann-Sofie, Jomme Claes, Nena Hustinx, Bryan Joris, Tobias Proost, Lotte Delvaux, Nele Uyttebroeck, Naomi Van Campenhou, Anse Arits, Lukas Evens, Philip Geelen, Gertjan Beliën, Naoko Engelen, Charlotte Neyens, Femke Steensels,
Chaima Benkheil, Charlotte De Cuyper, Anïa Bloemen, Bjarne De Prins, Pauline Croes, Jonas Leen, Kelly Meessen, Janne Teerlinck, Laura Dewinter. Beringen: Dillen Iris, Hanny Willems, Gypen Karla, Peeters Benny, Tytgat Dirk, Pirotte Guido, Jan Drijkoningen, Cindy Lodewyck, Jean-Paul Briers, Hilde Smets, Daenen Joeri, Johands Skynet, Florette Goffings. Houthalen-Helchteren: Alain Yzermans, Jef Verpoorten, Muhammet Oktay, Bert Cuppens, Myriam Bellio, Eefje Vanwortswinkel, Mustafa Aytar, Wim Haest, Joke Vandebeek, Gerry Hermans, Bertien Buntinx, Heidi Winterscheid, Dries Vandebeek, Freija Bas, Koen Thijs, Karel Stevens, Joris Verhees, Hans Jochems, Kris Asnong, Ward Segers, Michelle Accardo, Leen Gos, Leen Roels, David Beyen, Jurgen Becherer,Kevin Coeymans, Marleen Bollen, Erik Bamps, Michel Alfarano, Marc Zandecki, Conny Mertens, Marc Vervoort, Jean Deschutter, Laurens Vincken.