La Chasse Ground Floor Revival – A New European Bauhaus Urban Prototype

La Chasse, a dense and socially mixed neighbourhood in Etterbeek (Brussels, Belgium), faces increasing vacancy of ground-floor commercial units. Empty storefronts weaken local economic resilience, reduce street vitality and undermine the perceived safety and beauty of the public realm.

“Ground Floor Revival” proposes a replicable approach to transform vacant ground floors into inclusive, sustainable and design-led community assets. Rooted in the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, inclusion and beauty, the project converts empty retail units into a network of socially and environmentally responsible local businesses and shared neighbourhood spaces.

The initiative is built on three integrated pillars:

1. Temporary-to-permanent activation: rapid reactivation of vacant shops through reversible, low-carbon and design-driven interventions using modular and circular materials to enhance spatial quality.

2. Inclusive business incubation: targeted support for entrepreneurs and social economy actors (F/M) to develop proximity-based activities aligned with circular principles (repair, shared production, cultural micro-venues).

3. Collective governance and design curation: a local ground-floor lab brings together property owners, designers, citizens and businesses to ensure affordability, coherence and long-term viability. Shopfronts become visible interfaces of identity and creativity.

The project will measure reductions in vacancy, increased footfall, local employment and environmental performance. By reactivating ground floors as civic spaces rather than isolated retail units, La Chasse regains vibrancy and shared ownership.

Ground Floor Revival offers a transferable toolkit for European cities facing commercial vacancy in non-touristic districts, demonstrating how beauty, circular design and community entrepreneurship can drive sustainable urban regeneration.