Historical roots of a problem

Historical roots of a problem.

In Brussels during ‘40s the authorities very strongly formulated a “life idea” for all citizens: “If you can afford the house outside the city…you should do it”. It was also supported by the social care. All people who bought a house in a Brussels’s suburbia could counted on a social housing policy. This way of developing the city started underlining poverty between people. In the city centre were living only poor people. Rising segregation in Brussels was “supported” by capitalism and a mass production. From 1945 till 1973 to feel up the poorly paid jobs Belgian imported people from other foreign countries, starting from Mediterranean. The idea was to hire them only temporarily. The city more less stayed the same although the economic boom. Belgians migrated from the city to suburbs, at the same time creating the free space for immigrants. There was no population pressure in Belgium that implies no thinking about housing. Because of the promotion of a suburbanization authorities were not invested in a poor society. Brussels started becoming more poor that it was before.

During a crisis of Fordist (1973 – 1985) a lot of migrants stayed in the city, although they were not needed anymore. There were no jobs for foreign, they become more poor and coming back to their countries was not a solution. Existing ethnic segregation became even more profound. Migrates had more people than Belgians and their population started increasing. All those things leaded to ethnic infrastructure – city within a city. Poor foreign people had their own shops and other facilities because they could not afford for what Brussels was offering.

After 1985 until now Brussels have been seen as a world city – it became a kind of a service centre. In a job market was underlined strong industrialization. There was no middle class anymore. The process of importing a people from different countries had been started once again, but this time only rich people were needed. City started growing again mostly because of the people that worked for European Union – creation of a EU neighborhoods and quarters. But than a new problem appeared – land speculation: “Even if the EU workers will not live in EU sector, they still might like to”. Migrates were expelled from the South to North. South part of a Brussels city became rich, and Western and North very poor.