Project news
Project
A Place to Be-Come Seraing, Belgium
Edit 06 July 2021
by City of Seraing

Shops and services in Seraing: what do inhabitants and users want?

City of serainf survey map
A Place to Be-Come project aims to improve citizen’s quality of life in the center of Seraing by relying on a participatory process. The objective is to highlight the district’s specificities and potentials in terms of socio-economic development and to identify functions and activities that meet the needs of current and future population. As part of this process, a general public survey was conducted by the University of Liège (LEMA) concerning services supplies and shops in the area. The 660 responses allowed us to identify expectations of users. The results will then be discussed with economic and social actors in order to reflect on actions to be implemented so that the district development remains beneficial to current inhabitants.

660 respondents to the survey: 28% live in the district, 42% live in Seraing, 28% live outside Seraing

This survey highlited two types of profiles: respondents who live in the district and whose average age is 37 years, and users from outside the district with an average of 40 years old. Professional fields most represented by respondents living in the district are: administration, health, commerce and social work; whereas respondents from outside the district work mainly in the field of administration, and to a lesser extent in education and social work. Out of respondents working in the central district, 18% also live there; 42% live elsewhere in Seraing and 40% do not live in Seraing. A large proportion of jobs in the district are therefore held by workers from outside Seraing. 

Graphic 1: Professional profile
Graphic 1: Professional profile

Proximity, price and quality are the main criteria of choice for consumption

The survey shows that majority of respondents are not very or fairly satisfied with the commercial offer in the district. 
The majority of district residents are more satisfied than the external users. However, the longer respondents have lived in the neighborhood, the less satisfied they are. This could indicate a certain nostalgia for the ‘old Seraing city’ at time when there were more small shops and local services. 
For the vast majority of local residents, proximity is the first priority (32%), followed by price (27%) and product/service quality (19%). For outside users, proximity remains a priority (27%), followed by quality (22%), contrary to residents who give priority to price.

Personal equipment (ready-to-wear) and organic stores mainly in demand

Most of respondents living in the neighborhood would like to find more clothing stores in the neighborhood (26%), unlike outside users who are more interested in organic stores (21%). Other requests are relatively similar for both populations: restaurants and bookstores/multimedia. 
The services that are most lacking are culture and sports.

Regarding desired services, responses from neighborhood residents and outside users are quite similar. They would like to find more services related to culture (34% of respondents), but also sports and urban agriculture (both at 20%)

A workshop to target needs that differ within the central district

After this survey, a workshop was held with some of the survey respondents. As the neighborhoods within this area are very different, the needs of the consumer vary as well. Participants indicated where they would like to see different types of shops and services appear in the neighborhood.

Participants primarily placed retail and commercial services around a central vertical axis extending from Kuborn Square to Morchamps Park.

Much of the retail and services were requested along Cockerill Street (culture, sports, restaurants, organic stores, clothing stores...).

Nevertheless, many services and businesses are also desired in the neighborhoods within the urban area: urban agriculture and sports spaces around Morchamps Park, cultural spaces and restaurants in Molinay, clothing stores around the esplanade de l'Avenir and in Molinay. 

A participation and citizen consultation process

This survey is part of a more global approach to the project, led by LEMA. An urban planning process was launched at the beginning of the project through exploratory walks in the district with citizens and local associations. These urban walks allowed the inhabitants to express themselves on their territories and to start a reflection on ways to improve it. Two urban planning workshops will be organized this month of July with citizens in order to continue this reflection.

The first part of the economic approach consisted of a general public survey in order to understand socio-economic characteristics of people frequenting the neighborhood, to evaluate the level of satisfaction with current commercial offer and to identify specific users expectations. These results will lead us to work with operational actors of Seraing and propose concrete actions to develop the district.

The results of these steps will lead to the realization of a guide of recommendations which will be transmitted to local authorities. This orientation and reference tool will present the process put in place, results of different steps and resulting recommendations. Its objective is to feed current and future reflections on district development strategy.
 

Share

Other news from this project

Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Adapt to climate change starting from green areas

The APTBC project has invested significant efforts in improving the parks in the central neighbourhoods of Seraing, which are the least green areas of...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

The future of the first creative station in Seraing

This article is based on an interview with Aurélie Portois, currently project coordinator at the Maison du Peuple, and on some preliminary drafts cont...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

A Place To Be-Come journal 4

While the project was concluded in August 2023, this final issue of the journal offers a critical reflection on the challenges faced during implementa...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

The final event of the APTBC project as a moment of collective sharing

This article is about the final event of the APTBC project, which took place in June 2023. The article presents how the results, ambitions and expecta...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

APTBC impacts according to project partners - ZOOM IN

The project A Place to Be-Come has recently closed. Ahead of the final event, all the project partners have shared their ideas about what the project’...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Encouraging residents to use and become familiar with their local green areas

One goal of the project is to improve residents’ relationship with their local parks. This improvement involves on the one side improving the material...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

A pilot project's legacy

'La Ruche à projets' has stopped being the APTBC temporary creative hub in central Seraing. However, it will not close its doors and its role as a com...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

A Place To Be-Come: journal 3

The third edition of the journal covers almost the entire 2022. The implementation of most of the project actions has been completed and the remaining...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing La Ruche à projets

What it takes to raise a community in Seraing

The A Place To Be-Come project is built around one great idea: that inclusion can be promoted by building a community of local citizens eager to devel...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
A creative station to promote social inclusion and diversity

A creative station to promote social inclusion and diversity

Last March we launched the second call for projects to occupy « La Ruche », our first creative station. This was an opportunity for project leaders to...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Under what conditions can we assure a real access to green areas in Seraing?

The city of Seraing has a bold plan to redevelop its post-industrial territory after decades of decline. In particular, some urban projects, such as a...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Empowering citizen’s projects through our first Creative Station

Empowering citizen’s projects through our first Creative Station

Last December, A Place to Be-Come launched a call for projects to occupy the first Creative Station « La Ruche ». This was an opportunity for project ...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Co-designing a new day-shelter to improve access to low-threshold care in Seraing’s central neighbourhoods

In Seraing, two shelters welcome people experiencing homelessness or great discomfort associated with instable and precarious conditions of life. The ...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

APTBC Journal 2: how the puzzle is assembling as an increasingly coherent whole

This second journal covers the year 2021, between the first year and a half and second year and a half of implementation of the A Place To Be-Come pro...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Img boite des idées

A new citizen's space in Seraing: methodology and experiments facing the Covid period

In its objective to fight against all forms of precariousness and urban poverty, the A Place to Be-Come project aims to open several citizen spaces. I...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Seraing meets Turin: the power of sharing stories

Last October, a delegation composed by three members of the APTBC project management team, two city officials from Seraing and the UIA expert spent th...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Towards a better quality of social services in Seraing ?

Towards a better quality of social services in Seraing ?

Within the framework of the UIA project "A Place to Be-Come", a first social diagnosis was carried out before construction of the new day shelter, in ...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Seraing resumes its long journey of commoning where it all began

La Maison du Peuple was built in 1916 in Seraing as a gathering place for the working class. “Before, social-democrat activists gathered in the old th...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
group photo

New ambassadors for green spaces sustainable management

For one year now, workers hired by the C.P.A.S under Art.60 contract have been maintaining 3 parks in the center of Seraing: Parc des Marêts, Parc Mor...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

How a Place to Be-Come is transforming local parks while addressing social exclusion - ZOOM IN

On February 2020, the Centre Public d’Action Social (CPAS) - the local institution that delivers social aid - and the project partner Natagora - a gra...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

How the pandemic diluted the project and how we learnt to stay put, but actively

Julien Bebronne and Lauranne Liégeois are respectively APTBC coordinator and project officer for Arebs, the municipal agency in charge of the project ...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
How do Seresians perceive their green spaces?

How do Seresians perceive their green spaces?

‘A Place to Be-Come’ project initiated in Seraing since September 2019 aims to fight against poverty by proposing an inclusive and innovative urban pl...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Improving citizens’ relationship with their environment to promote social inclusion, or the A Place To Be-Come’s boldest ambition

In this journal, UIA expert Francesca Ansaloni provides an account of difficulties, challenges and achievements of A Place To Be-Come's first year of ...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
Seraing - A Place to Be-Come project

Go transdisciplinary and flexible! The A Place To Be-Come way to learning

A Place To Be-Come aims to tackle urban poverty in Seraing by investing in people and the enhancement of their well-being. This goal is expected to be...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium

Urban poverty
When socioprofessional inclusion goes with biodiversity

When socioprofessional inclusion goes with biodiversity

The project “A Place to Be-Come” is taking place in Seraing since September 2019. It was initiated by the nonprofit organization Arebs (Association fo...

A Place to Be-Come

Urban poverty

Seraing - Belgium