IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Brussels, like many cities, is facing the combined challenges of urban heat stress and increasing water scarcity. Although the city was built on marshland and along the Senne River, it has gradually become disconnected from its natural water systems. Brussels is home to over 220 natural springs, but about a third of them now drain directly into the sewer. Once central to daily life—used for washing, gathering, and rituals—these springs have been largely forgotten. To explore how these hidden water sources might once again play a role in urban public life, a series of temporary installations was developed in Brussels. These installations divert spring water that would otherwise be lost and introduce it into public space in visible and interactive ways. They are designed to test and showcase the potential of spring water as a shared and valuable urban resource. By encouraging gathering, play, and reflection, the installations reconnect people with water and with each other. They help reactivate the springs as meeting places, echoing their historic role in the city. At the same time, they offer a simple, low-tech way to cool the city and reuse a local water source that often goes untapped. These small-scale interventions suggest a flexible and community-oriented approach to climate adaptation—one that could inspire similar efforts in other cities looking to make public space more livable, inclusive, and resilient.