European Directors and Conferences on architecturale policies
AN EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR ARCHITECTURE
Bringing together stakeholders from the public pillar of architecture, the EDAP is an informal network of experts from the various administrations of the European states, responsible for all or part of their country's architectural policies. Initiated in 1997, EDAP meetings are organised under each Presidency of the Council of the European Union. These meetings are regularly associated with European Conferences on Architectural Policies (ECAP), which bring together the public, cultural, professional and academic pillars of architecture.
Combining meetings, conferences and visits, these meetings enable a rich sharing of experience and knowledge between the various stakeholders in the field of architecture in Europe. Since 2021, EDAP and ECAP have been officially supported by the European Commission and are included in the EU's current Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026 . As a founding member of the network, the Architecture Unit monitors these meetings with the Team Vlaams Bouwmeester of the Flemish authorities, in consultation with Ostbelgien and the BMA of the Brussels Region.
ECAP 2024 BRUSSELS | ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY AS A COMMON CONCERN
In 2024, the Architecture Unit of the Brussels-Wallonia Federation and Flemish Government Architect Team jointly organised a new edition of the European Conference on Architectural Policies (ECAP) during the Belgian Presidency. Entitled "Architectural quality as a common concern", this event was held from 23 to 26 April 2024 at La Tricoterie, Brussels.
Examining the relationship between public and private stakeholders
The aim of the conference was to explore the ways in which public-sector project leaders can interact with the players involved, particularly private developers, designers, and citizens: how can the notion of quality be central to these interactions?
Focus on discussion
For four days, participants from all sectors were able to exchange ideas through lectures, project visits and, above all, thematic workshops. Indeed, contrary to traditional arrangements, the Brussels 2024 event did not only take the form of plenary sessions but also involved a series of round tables organised in small groups. Taking specific case studies as a starting point, participants were invited to actively contribute to the discussions. CityTools office and the research group Architecture Culture and the Contemporary (ACC) at Ghent University, prepared the roundtables and held a series of fruitful discussions.
In keeping with tradition, the ECAP also hosted the European Directors on Architectural Policies meeting and the meeting of the New European Bauhaus National Contact Points.
A publication
The Flemish Government Architect Team and the Architecture Unit have issued a publication to document these exchanges. Rather than an exhaustive account, the purpose here is to compile some testimonies from the event, in a selective recap of a fruitful collaboration, which hopefully will inspire future organisers of similar meetings. The publication comes in three separate language versions (English, French and Dutch).
- Fichiers
