From Factory to Symbol: Identity and Resilience in the Reuse of Abandoned Industrial Sites of Belgium

The economic crises of recent decades have result ed in the appearance of numerous brownfield sites across Belgium. In order that urban regeneration remains sustainable, the country will need to make strategic decisions in terms of the preservation, conversion or destruction of such industrial relics. At the same time, the rise in population, consumption and changing lifestyles require more and more space for urban development. It now appears that priority is being given to the remediation of these disused industrial sites in order to reinvest them with new functions and architectural forms. Is it really necessary to destroy everything when doing so means losing so much in terms of the cultural legacy and identity represented by these brownfield sites? This paper examines how former production sites can evolve an identity and develop the character of a heritage site of benefit to the community.