Exploring Borgerhout Through Countermapping
Student Insights on History, Demography, Gender and Green Spaces
Within a participatory action research project in Borgerhout, an interdisciplinary team comprising students from UAntwerpen, Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname and Universidade Católica de Pernambuco (Brazil) undertook the creation of countermaps: maps that reveal alternative narratives and often-ignored perspectives of a location. Organised into four focus groups - History, Demography, Gender, and Green - they worked closely with residents and community stakeholders to develop maps that showcase both the visible and hidden aspects of Borgerhout. Each map conveys a distinct story, illustrating the varied and intricate dynamics that influence this urban area. The following provides an in-depth look at each countermapping and the insights they reveal.
History
The Memories of Borgerhout
The history of a space is rarely found in its physical form. While older buildings with heritage value may offer glimpses into the past, they don't fully answer our questions about change and continuity. It was only when we interviewed people on the street and asked them about what had changed that we began to understand the true history of Borgerhout. It is not merely embedded in the brick and mortar but is woven into the lived experiences of its residents—how they perceive the neighbourhood and how their personal histories shape these perceptions.
The interviews revealed that history in Borgerhout is about individual narratives and how people have experienced and adapted to the evolving neighbourhood. For example, a woman who recently moved from Chicago noticed a difference in social patterns: while locals tend to stay indoors, newcomers often gather outside in public spaces. This contrast highlights different cultural practices and notions of public versus private life.
Residents like a Chinese woman and a French-speaking father expressed their appreciation for Borgerhout’s diversity, reflecting the importance of exposure to various cultures in fostering meaningful social interactions. The neighbourhood's superdiversity, characterised by ethnic communities such as Algerians, Turkish, Moroccans, and Romanians, enables regular intercultural contact and a dynamic social environment.
Community-driven initiatives, such as fundraisers for Palestine and local celebrations of Ramadan and Christmas, illustrate active efforts to bridge cultural differences and create shared experiences. These initiatives represent "public pedagogy”, as discussed in the article "Meaningful Intercultural Contact: How Different Places Pave the Way for Learning to Live Together in Diversity” by Floor E. Spijkers and Maarten Loopmans. They show how residents use community activities to promote intercultural learning and a collective sense of belonging.
One older resident, who has lived in Borgerhout her entire life, expressed concerns about the neighbourhood's parks, noting that they have become neglected and littered over time. As a result, she prefers to let children play on the dead-end street where she can keep an eye on them. It is worth noting that this street recently underwent a "green update”. Her story reflects a broader call for more well-maintained green spaces, semi-public areas, and improved infrastructure to better serve families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
There is a recurring need for more green areas, semi-public spaces, and better infrastructure. Several participants highlight the lack of investment in the area, despite its dense population. The need for more accessible facilities, especially for families, the elderly, and people with disabilities, is a common concern.
These interviews paint a picture of a vibrant yet complex neighbourhood with both opportunities and challenges, reflecting the dynamic social fabric of Borgerhout.
These personal accounts emphasise that history in Moorkensplein and Borgerhout goes beyond physical structures; it lives in the stories of its people and their interactions with the evolving social and cultural landscape.
Demography
Borgerhout: A Soft Atlas of Invisible Borders
The first steps in creating this soft atlas of Borgerhout began with exploring the neighbourhood. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of the dynamics within the area by observing how residents interact in various public and semi-public spaces. We started by visiting some local bars, cafés, and other meeting places along the Turnhoutsebaan. This street forms the heart of Borgerhout and is known for its vibrant mix of cultures, yet we noticed that many operators struggle to attract a broad mix of different communities.
During our visits to various cafés, such as Bar BOB, Bar Caju, and Nieuwe Roma 2, we observed that these places often attract a specific target audience. Although these bars are in the same neighbourhood, each seems to appeal to a different, often homogeneous, group. For example, Bar BOB is mainly frequented by regular customers from the area, while Bar Caju primarily attracts tourists and younger people. Nieuwe Roma 2, with its loyal clientele, even faces a language barrier that may exclude people outside their regular circle. Despite the diverse backgrounds of local residents, many of these operators struggle to draw in a varied mix of people.
As we delved deeper into Borgerhout, we realised that there are also unwritten rules determining who feels welcome in certain semi-public spaces, such as community centres and sports facilities. Entering these spaces is often accompanied by subtle social norms and expectations, which can present a barrier for some residents. We noticed that places like Buurthuis Cortina and Huis van het Kind are important spots for locals, but may not always feel accessible to those outside the immediate circle of regular visitors. Cultural differences and the way people approach each other in these semi-public spaces can play a role in creating these social boundaries.
Throughout our research, we also looked at how certain places successfully attract a more diverse group of people. Some semi-public spaces, such as eateries and dog parks, turned out to be effective ways to bring together different groups of residents. Restaurants like Falafel King, with their open atmosphere and delicious Middle Eastern dishes, draw a wide audience, from local residents to visitors from outside Borgerhout. The food serves as a universal binding factor that can break down barriers between different cultures and groups. Dog parks in places like Krugerpark also prove to be meeting spots where residents of various backgrounds connect informally. As their dogs play, natural conversations emerge between the owners, promoting social interaction.
Another great example of a successful meeting place is ’t Werkhuys. This venue not only offers space for creative projects and workshops but also hosts community meals that bring local residents together. Such initiatives demonstrate how important it is to organise activities that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. They not only create a sense of togetherness but also contribute to social development and cohesion within the neighbourhood.
Conclusion
Our research on Borgerhout began with visits to local cafés and bars, where we discovered that many operators struggle to attract a diverse group of customers. We also noticed that unwritten social rules sometimes make it difficult for people to enter semi-public spaces such as community centres and sports facilities. However, eateries and dog parks represent positive exceptions where people from different backgrounds do meet. These places show that shared experiences, such as eating and participating in activities together, can break down barriers between different groups. This highlights that promoting accessibility and diversity in the neighbourhood is not a given, but it is certainly possible. And this raises the question: how can we further expand these positive examples?
Gender
On the map, you see the public space of Moorkensplein. The lively square is portrayed as a meeting place for the neighbourhood. In our observations spread over several days and nights, we saw a variety of people using the square to claim their space.
Starting with our main focus group: Women of Borgerhout. We have seen a lot of women supervising groups of children playing on the square. Mothers, caretakers or nannies were using the benches a lot to keep an eye on the children. Even teachers pass the square with groups of children, which indicates the safety of the square. We had some interviews on the square with different women from the neighbourhood. A 35-year-old Belgian woman tells us her memory of bringing a big blue shell to the square together with her child to play near the fountains.
The benches around the trees are a popular spot. We talk to a woman who doesn’t have a garden and finds peace at Moorkensplein away from the city life, to enjoy some green and liveliness of the neighbourhood.
The district house attracts a lot of mobility to the square itself. People come and go, even kids use the district house as a goal for their football game. Moorkensplein still misses some playful features on the square, like swings.
During the day the demography of the users at Moorkensplein is diverse, but during night time we see a shift. A lot of young men use the square, and we see a decrease in the presence of women in the public space. We had some interviews of women stating that they don't feel completely comfortable on Moorkensplein at night.
However, the cafés at the edges of Moorkensplein bring activity to the square. Vibrant terraces and cosy lights surrounding Moorkensplein cause a different street scene at night. These cafés can be perceived as the beating hearts of Moorkensplein in the evening. While the square itself during daytime is enough to attract and support interactions of diverse groups, the café helps bring groups together and create a local sense of place for some.
SAAMO
We also went to a resident meeting at SAAMO on 22-10-2024 where the new vision of the Reuzenpark was presented to the residents. Some women in the neighbourhood were raising questions and talking about certain topics specifically to focus on in the public space. A shortage of public toilets for women in Antwerp was the first example raised in the discussion. Safe and cosy street lighting, safe meeting spots for families, and wider pedestrian sidewalks for buggies were demands of the women participating in the meeting, all noted by the designer. These are some topics we can work further on with the target group ‘mother of Borgerhout’.
Overall the residents at SAAMO were positive about the Reuzenpark plan and were aiming to make Borgerhout a better and safer neighborhood for all residents.
Green
Our analysis of the Borgerhout site began with a walk through the neighbourhood, observing how greenery—both intentional and spontaneous—manages to emerge within this dense, urbanised environment. Despite the limited spaces available, green life seems eager to break through, with plants cultivated by residents climbing façades, flowers spilling from pots by doorways, and even small weeds pushing through cracks in the pavement. The scarcity of green spaces in Borgerhout means that even the smallest patches of greenery, whether intentionally planted or not, contribute to a sense of liveliness and resilience in the streets. These little bursts of green, whether planted or self-sown, felt valuable because of the lack of natural spaces, and they seemed to reflect a collective desire for more greenery amidst the urban density. This interplay between intentional and spontaneous greenery underscored the need for natural spaces, no matter how modest, in Borgerhout’s urban environment.
In developing our countermap, we aimed to represent not only the visible greenery but also the perspectives and experiences of the residents we interviewed. To better understand their priorities, we approached our interviews indirectly, focusing initially on broader questions rather than immediately asking about green spaces. This approach allowed us to assess whether greenery was a prominent concern for residents or if other needs took precedence. Interestingly, we found that while residents did not prioritise green spaces in their initial responses, almost all of them included more trees, plants, and flowers when asked to envision an improved version of their street. This pattern suggests that, while not always top-of-mind, a desire for greener surroundings is a common underlying sentiment that resonates with most residents.
The diversity in responses highlighted the different priorities and living conditions within the community. Some residents were very invested in the presence of greenery, seeing it as essential to the quality of life, while others prioritised different issues, such as social spaces, traffic reduction, or safety. In analysing these responses, we wanted to see if there was a clear pattern in who valued greenery more actively, especially in relation to their housing situation and frequency of use of public spaces. This analysis allowed us to compare the individual priorities of residents with the focus of local action groups, particularly those advocating for Reuzenpark. Our goal was to determine whether these action groups truly represented the diversity of perspectives in the community or if their emphasis on green spaces reflected a narrower focus than that of many residents.
We represented each interviewed resident by their home, organising their comments around key concepts discussed during our interviews. The countermap thus captures both the physical and social landscapes of Borgerhout, showing the interconnected web of people’s living situations and the priorities they shared with us. By mapping out the residents' relationships to green spaces and other local issues, we portrayed the complex, interwoven community network that underpins Borgerhout. The countermap reflects the full range of resident perspectives, rather than simply supporting the action group’s vision of an ideal green space, and highlights different perspectives on Borgerhout’s needs.
This approach emphasises that while greenery is a shared desire for many, it is not a universal priority or a singular need. Our countermap reveals a nuanced landscape of differing priorities and highlights how community-driven green spaces must accommodate a variety of needs to truly reflect the residents’ vision for Borgerhout’s future.