The first Mind The Night session was organised on September 19th 2018 in Beursschouwburg and on September 25th 2018 in C12. We ended our sessions with a political debate before the communal elections of october 2018.
you can find the livestream of this first Mind The Night here…
The live stream of the political debate can be watched by clicking the link below
Below you can read the syntheses of the first two events.
MIND THE NIGHT 2018
FIRST CONCLUSIONS
The following elements are a result of the two moments of dialogue and discussion between a wide variety of actors involved in « nightlife » issues in Brussels.
It is certainly not a definitive list of proposals, but more a first attempt to apprehend the problematic in all its dimensions. The items proposed are still vague and need further reflexion but it’s a first step.
We classified the proposals in two categories :
- General fundamental ideas discussed during the workshops and that need to orient the night management in general
- Very concrete and specific proposals that emerged during the discussions
With that list we consider that the first guidelines of a « nightlife charter » are there. This needs to be further developped in the same collective approach as the one organized in september 2018. As a reminder :
- September 19 at Beurs: open roundtable with a wide variety of actors
- September 25 : two workshops on « night governance » and « territorial dimension »
FIVE MAIN PRINCIPLES AND RELATED CONCRETE MEASURES
Study the night
We don’t know the night in Brussels. In order to improve the night management, we need more information and we need to define a vision :
- Objectify the current situation (data searching)
- Build a vision for the night on the territory
Related concrete measure :
- Measure the social, economical, environnemental and health impact of the night
- Constitute archives of the nighlife sector : pictures, programmes, visuals, etc.
- Propose different experiences of the night : cultural, sport, scientific, social
- Defend a vision of nightlife as a « cultural activity »
A « night management » team
Without knowing which form it has to take, we can say we need some sort of institution that would facilitate and organize the « night management » (night mayor ? night council ? reform of existing administrations ?). The precise missions is yet to be defined, but it should at least :
- Provide a permanent place for dialogue and reflexion between all actors involved (inhabitants, nightlife actors, authorities)
- Provide ideas and solutions, and have the capacity to implement them in order to improve the night
Related concrete measure :
- Organize monthly discussion meetings with all actors
- Constitute an information desk on all night related issues
- Moratoire on the development of new bars/clubs in some areas (Saint Gery, Saint Jacques, Vismet) : define a maximum acceptable number
- Create local « management comittees » that could involve inhabitants, nighlife actors and authorities in the definition of what’s acceptable in their specific local area (in saint gery, around place Poelaert, etc)
- Provide public « noise isolation funding » for bars and clubs
- Night stewards : people with a specific training that could be a public presence during the night
- Information/sensibilisation of the public going out : health issues, noise/neighbour issues, respect/non discrimination issues, etc.
- Accelerate and objectify the response of authorities (commune, police, firemen) to authorize (or not) events
A « responsible clubbing » pack
The pack would serve as a set of principles and guidelines that could be objectified with the nighlife actors in order to improve the clubbing experience and limit its negative impact (noise, alcohol, drugs, non discrimination, etc). The engagement to respect this pack would be a sign of trust towards inhabitants and authorities.
Related concrete measures :
- Non discrimination policies at the entrance
- Objectivity on night workers issues
- Promote specific training for the « doormen » : non discrimination, alcohol, drugs, noise strategies, calm people when exiting, etc
- Noise emissions controls
- Information/sensibilisation of the clients
Facilitate the opening of new qualitative places
While the regulation has to limit the « over-occupation » of some areas, other areas could be developped in good conditions in order to provide new spaces for nightlife actors : administrative areas, industrial zones or even some downtown areas with very few inhabitants.
Related concrete measures :
- Analyze the « nightlife » potential of some well adapted areas for night activities : Mont des arts, rue des bouchers, boulevard Albert II
- Stimulate the principle of transitory occupations in order to provide new places
- Make a connection between the « offer » (vast empty buildings in the city) and the « demand » (from actors searching for spaces for nightlife)
- Implement the idea of a « permis d’urbanisme temporaire » in the urban regulations to facilitate temporary occupations
- Evaluate the idea to insert « clubs » as a specific urban function in the PRAS
- Inventory of the places that could be « re-opened» : La Gaité, Bxl Congres, etc.
- Respond to the lack of 300/400 people clubs
Improve the night mobility
It remains difficult to move within the city during the night, despite a puncual « nightbus » offer on Fridays and Saturdays. The network is still based on the current offer and not necessarely on a prospective offer.
Related concrete measures :
- Open discussion on the Noctis network : how could we improve it ?
- Improvement of the taxi service
- Facilitate the use of bikes instead of cars
you can download the following files here :
http://www.24hbrussels.be/wordpress/24hb_mindmap/
http://www.24hbrussels.be/wordpress/compte-rendu-ateliers-25_10_2018
/http://www.24hbrussels.be/wordpress/synthese-discussions-1/