Abstract
While productive activities are high on the academic and political agenda of the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR), small-scale production space is still rapidly disappearing. Based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, this article sketches a historical comparative perspective on the spatial organization of small and medium-sized construction companies in the BCR. It shows that in both 1965 and 2016 construction companies have a scattered distribution pattern over the Region's built-up area, that they follow the Region's built-up expansions and that they have a strong path dependence. The interviewed entrepreneurs, mainly focused on renovation, are locally anchored and work mainly with local customers, employees and suppliers. Although the construction companies' central location and local anchoring offer an important added value to the BCR, their presence is under pressure and, due to their small-scale organization, they often stay invisible to the authorities. In order to continue to guarantee small-scale economic activities such as the construction sector in the city, this article argues for a spatial policy that provides affordable and centrally located production space.
Highlights
The number of companies in the construction sector had decreased by 15 %, from 4 433 to 3 830 companies, while the total number of offices had increased more than tenfold [Dessouroux, 2010]. This decrease is partly caused by technological developments within the construction sector, by a change in the demand, and because Brussels is supplied by construction firms from outside the BrusselsCapital Region (BCR)
The strongly pronounced concentrations in Ixelles and Schaerbeek are clearly decreasing in size, while new ones are emerging in Anderlecht neighbourhoods and on the borderline between Jette and Koekelberg
25 The construction sector remains an important player in the urban economy, for newbuild, renovation and maintenance work
Summary
Photo and editing by the authors in 2018. 10 For the year 1965, these data were collected from the Almanacs of Trade and Industry. 10 For the year 1965, these data were collected from the Almanacs of Trade and Industry This historical comparative perspective indicates how the construction sector has organized itself differently over the past fifty years. The number of companies in the construction sector had decreased by 15 %, from 4 433 to 3 830 companies, while the total number of offices had increased more than tenfold [Dessouroux, 2010]. This decrease is partly caused by technological developments within the construction sector, by a change in the demand, and because Brussels is supplied by (often cheaper) construction firms from outside the BCR.
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