Every year we create an informal learning experience for a diverse group of youth exploring different aspects of territorial innovation. The third edition to be held in September 2023 will explore emerging building processes.

Since the industrial revolution, our cities have been expanding exponentially. In 2018 alone, 4.2 % of European land cover was lost to construction: that’s an average of one basketball court per resident.

In light of the imminent dangers that this poses to the planet, the European Commission has declared a "zero net artificialization" policy for 2050. This means that new development projects will be limited to available built-up areas. This will be a radical shift from the expansionist urbanisation of the last century. Failing to meet this objective will accelerate the current climate crisis and also make us less resilient to the change it will bring about.

We need to shift the way we make space by using what is readily available.

This is not an easy task. The production of space involves many actors from different sectors with varying expertise, imperatives and visions of the future. During 10 days, we will try to deconstruct hardwired common-practices to investigate more sustainable, emergent life cycles for our buildings, from design to build, maintenance and deconstruction.

Participants will receive lectures and site visits by inspiring designers and leaders from across Europe. They will explore ideas and get hands-on experience in making scale 1 interventions with local partners. Together, we will discover new approaches to the production and construction of space. We will occupy different building sites across the territory and test methods in constructing, maintaining and deconstructing the spaces that surround us. 

We are currently calling for expressions of interest for the 2023 edition. We try to make each edition participatory and cater to interesting, relevant and challenging case studies from across Southwest Flanders. While offering a special learning experience for 30 young participants, it is also our ambition to sustainably and meaningfully impact the territory.

Do you want to participate? Do you have ideas of projects / sites? Do you want to partner-up or co-fund us? Do you want to give a lecture or a site visit?

- 1 October 2022: Call for interest open
- January 2023: Call for interest closed 
- February 2023: Announcement of final program
- 1 March 2023: Registration open for 30 participants 
- 1 July 2023: Registration closed
- 15 July 2023: Notification of acceptance of participants
- First week of September 2023: LSS 2023 ( final dates to be confirmed)