On 2 June 2022, the MAP Wallonia in Belgium kick-started its activities foreseen within the project. The platform has gathered over ten local actors to discuss the social aspects of their rural areas. The discussions touched upon relevant topics that the region is faced with, such as mobility, housing or the role of social enterprises, alongside governance of rural areas in Wallonia. Participants highlighted the context and drivers behind each of the topics and went on to identify the needs to be addressed.
Since the mid-1950s, the urban exodus from the Brussels conurbation has been accompanied by demographic growth in the surrounding rural municipalities of the province of Walloon Brabant. This has made Wallonia a region with diverse rural areas, specifically regarding the pace of the demographic change.
In this context, MAP Wallonia will look to assess the current and new decision-making tools so as to empower local communities in finding solutions to future challenges, and rebalance the rural-urban relationship.
