The relation between the production of goods and the city has radically changed over the last century, leading to a strong disconnection that exiled manufacturing activities to marginal places, out of sight. In recent years, such confinement and its negative consequences congestion, energy waste, pollution, employment unbalance has gained attention worldwide. Critical discussions and a…
Space for SMEs in the city has been a hot topic in Brussels circles concerned with urban and economic transformation for several years now. Several analyses show that the situation in the Brussels Capital Region is worrying: SMEs are leaving the city. VUB researchers Alexandre Orban and Fabio Vanin, in…
This case study focuses on making and manufacturing in the London inner city area of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, known as the ‘Maker-Mile’. It illustrates how manufacturing and making has historically and dynamically become embedded into a mainly residential-commercial part of London, with makers being distributed across the area as…
Based on the Cities of Making patterns, we have developed twelve action areas. There is no key priority or starting point. Some cities may already address some of these recommendations, however may not have noticed other opportunities. For policy makers interested in manufacturing, dive in where you think it will…
Haringey is representative of small, low-density, inner-city industrial zones which are embedded into their neighbourhoods. With the growth of demand for housing and the increasing of land prices, sites like those found in Haringey are under serious threat from gentrification. The totality of the companies analysed in the Borough of…
This report looks into the state of the businesses, what is made and particularly the kinds of resources and technology used in the manufacturing process on one of Europe’s largest industrial estates, at a time where it is confronted by the demand for space within London. According to the Park…
Wood in Molenbeek is partly a social project within a disadvantaged neighbourhood and partly a university action research project to explore the capacity to re-use wood, a very common waste stream.…
Gillis is one of a few remnant printers that remains in Brussels’ inner-city neighbourhood of Cureghem. The company has seen radical change of both the neighbourhood and clients. It is now at a critical moment, will the owner end the business and cash in on the recent increase in land…
Since the 1970s, cities world-wide have been witness to radical de-industrialisation. Manufacturing was considered incompatible with urban life and was actively pushed out. As economies have grown, public officials and developers have instinctively shifted their priorities to short-term, high-yielding land uses such as offices, retail space and housing. Inner-city growth from New…
Following the life of four manufacturers BIGH is food producer, growing tomatoes, fish and herbs. They’re located in the city’s abattoir and the business builds on ideas or circular economy, cradle to cradle and industrial symbiosis. Their location in the abattoir allows for waste heat from the refrigeration units to…
Cantillon is a brewery located in the heart of Brussels, a few steps from the main train station – Gare du Midi. The brewery produces Gueuze beer which has a peculiar ‘spontaneously fermented’ process based on ancient brewing methods that were once typical for the surrounding Senne Valley. It…
BIGH, the acronym for Brussels Integrated Green Houses, is a pioneering urban agriculture business, located on the roof of the retail section of the city’s abattoir. The business uses a closed loop system within the spirit of cradle to cradle and the circular economy that takes advantage of wasted heat…
Demonstrating new approaches to real estate development Citydev.brussels is the Brussels region’s development agency, an independent but publicly owned organisation. It is charged with showcasing new development priorities and developing spatial solutions which would not currently be attractive to the mainstream development market. They have three areas of focus: housing,…
CF2D is located along Brussels’ canal district, within an ERDF (European Regional Development Funds) funded complex oriented towards waste management. The non-profit organisation is focused on repurposing or at least selectively dismantling and sorting electronic waste. This provides relatively ‘low-value’ financial returns but is of great value for cities that…
Lowestein is located on the south of Brussels, one of only a handful of repair businesses in Belgium. They provide an essential service by keeping machines moving and working. However it is not the most attractive job and there are questions of how this business may be carried down to…
Screen Group is located in the south of Brussels and focuses on printing posters and large prints. This is increasingly a smaller market. There is constant pressure to invest in new technology to bridge the gap. This film looks at how a business stays afloat despite newer and bigger businesses…
Protection Protecting existing industrial space in cities provides continuity for firms and prevents the disruption of existing social and business networks. To be most beneficial for all sizes and kinds of manufacturing businesses, protection is needed across different kinds of space, from large scale industry-only sites to fine-grained sites where…
Cities of Making has partnered with Cosmopolis and Building Brussels to host ‘Making Cities Work’, a series of events, from 6-11 September 2019, aimed at contributing to new ways of thinking about the urban economy. How can alliances of policy makers, citizens, entrepreneurs and civil society organisations contribute to a…
This presentation was first made, and here filmed, at the Urban Manufacturing Next forum at the Maker City Sewoon in Seoul (KR) in May 2019 – read more about the event here. The presentation was built on a vision text written by Josie Warden (The RSA) and forms the basis…
While Perma Plexi has a major challenge – finding enthusiastic staff that have experience working with plastic. It is a business that proves that while accessible work exists in manufacturing within cities, there is a fundamental recruitment challenge to find people that genuinely want to work with their hands and live…
The Cities of Making team was invited by Professor Jie-Eun Hwang to contribute the Urban Manufacturing Next forum focused on an inner-city neighbourhood called Sewoon Sangga, rich with small-scale manufacturers yet under frightening pressure to be gentrified. The site has long lived quietly next-door to one of the city’s more intensely occupied…
Baking in Brussels Löwy is an artisanal baker and the retail face for La Wetterenoise. Both are located in the Drogenbos neighbourhood at the south of Brussels, in a city known for having a baker on every other corner in some parts of the city. They’re positioned somewhere in the…
See full screen This map is a community driven, collaborative effort to help show the diversity of spaces and initiatives. Currently the focus has been Euro-centric, but we hope to include more examples beyond the continent. Do you have any suggestions or contributions? Let us know. This map is a coproduction…
Signage and clients Petrus is a signage company located at the south of Brussels. It has grown over the years from a business offering one-off solutions to small shops to now building strong relationships with brands and companies to deliver a full service, from design to manufacturing and installation. …
Building capacity in for public authorities Public Practice is a new not-for-profit organisation that seeks to improve the quality and equality of London’s built environment. They identified that a lack of capacity in local authority planning departments is affecting outcomes, in response their programme places built environment experts (called Associates)…
Providing secure space for manufacturers In Poplar, East London, a new venture will co-locate workspace, manufacturing and education facilities to create a space for East London’s fashion economy. Whilst only a short distance from the financial district in Canary Wharf, Poplar is not an affluent neighbourhood. Poplar HARCA, a not-for…
Creating a united voice for small businesses The East End Trades Guild is an alliance of 300 small independent businesses and the self employed formed in East London who work together to provide collective support and voice for independent businesses. As well as uniting to address business concerns such as…
We started in the basement of a radio shop in the 1930s and became Kaymet in 1947. A classic story of city enterprise. Four years ago, the business nearly evaporated, but now sales have more than doubled, to 40 countries, and the team has grown to ten. We are proud to…
Urban manufacturing, interpreted simply as the production in cities of tradable goods at scale, is a poorly understood aspect of urban life that is often taken for granted or overlooked in urban planning. Following years of decline and offshoring, European cities may now be at a turning point. Firstly, manufacturing…