1. un(der)used green space
The project is conceived as a way for the students to work in a
participatory way with the local inhabitants, entrepreneurs & civil servants
of the Saint Gilles quarter by means of co-designing small acupuncture-
like projects. Focal point in this project will be how to re-envision, use
and develop un(der)used green space in the area - such as a botanical
garden embedded in a park as well as private gardens.

2. challenges
• Lack of social resilience
• Lack of sense of responsibility
• Feeling of “closed doors” (gardens as private
treasures)
• Lack of safety (especially in the park)
• Underused green (public & private)
• Lack of social cohesion
• Disconnection private-public
• Social gap (students, inhabitants, shops,
authorities)

3. opportunities
• Great underused green spaces (public & private)
• Sense of urgency
• Botanical garden + bio-market
• Presence of students
• Underused buildings/shops
• Upcoming association of local inhabitants
• Involvement of public authorities
• Warmth of inhabitants

4. methodology
By means of an in-depth field research, observation, documentation,
interviews, cultural probes, the students will explore further the
challenges and opportunities offered by the context. Similar case
studies, secondary literature and a few tools (Ideo method cards, Design
for intent cards - Dan Lockton, peeling the onion , World house matrix
exploration kit -Institute without boundaries) will help discovering how
threats can be seen as opportunities. By means of co-design sessions
and in a workshop-like setting, the students will come to a first design
proposition that will be shaped by the lo-fi prototyping session for
finally presenting the idea to the local community (idea market,
brainstorming with experts, stakeholders).

5. action plan
– Lesson 1: presentation case study-secondary literature -
examples (homework: reading of secondary literature, research
of similar cases around the world, preparation of the cultural
probes, field research plan, interview, etc..)
– Lesson 2: presentation of the cultural probes, field research plan,
interview, etc..)
– Lesson 3: field study (in Liège)
– (homework: preparation of a powerpoint with the results of the
field study, preparation of a first design proposition)
– Lesson 4: presentation results field study, design research
proposition, mutual feedback by means of design tools) with
expert (homework: shape design proposition, preparation of a
presentation of design proposition)
– Lesson 5: workshop stakeholders & expert (presentation,
feedback, co-design session) (in Liege)
– Lesson 6: lo-fi prototyping
– Lesson 7: idea market (co-design session) in Liege? + 2 hours
final tuning

6. future scenario
• The students will work to connect private and
public so that the underused green spaces will be
used again in a way that will bring people together
enhancing their feeling of individual responsability
towards the public green spaces. The public sector
will be positive towards this change and support
the newborn initiatives. St. Gilles will feel more
safe, sustainable and “social”. Everybody will feel
even more proud of belonging to S.Gilles and will
take care of the public (green) spaces.

7. design role
Design will be facilitating the reconnection between
private and public by means of co-designing
initiatives and services that will make use of
underused green spaces (both private & public). The
designer proposes tangible ideas, services and
products for planting seeds of positive change. The
idea is that the designer gives the project back to the
population, and eventually, after a first period of
feedback & finetuning, can eventually disappear.
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