ReSTORE Lab: Reviving vacant ground-floor retail spaces through local entrepreneurship and circular neighbourhood economy

The project is set in the La Chasse neighbourhood in Etterbeek (Brussels, Belgium), a local urban retail hub facing increasing vacancy of ground-floor retail spaces, fragmented ownership of commercial units, and a gradual loss of attractiveness. Despite its central location, high population density and the presence of key facilities, the area is affected by the combined impacts of changing consumption patterns (e-commerce), rising commercial rents and a lack of coordination between public and private stakeholders.

The main policy entry point of the project lies in the municipality’s ambition to strengthen local retail as a lever for social cohesion, economic vitality and ecological transition, notably in line with the “15-minute city” concept. This ambition is already embedded in the municipal policy programme; however, existing tools (grants, business support schemes, taxation) remain fragmented and insufficiently coordinated to generate a structuring impact at neighbourhood level.

The project therefore aims to test an integrated approach to revitalising ground-floor retail spaces, combining several complementary levers. On the one hand, targeted activation of vacant units through incentive schemes, entrepreneurial support and temporary uses. On the other hand, the development of a more resilient local economic ecosystem based on mutualisation (logistics, communication, energy), short supply chains and a local currency. Particular attention will also be paid to improving the urban environment (public space, traffic calming, conviviality) and to engaging residents and local stakeholders.

A central component of the project is the establishment of a Commercial Property Agency (CPA), led by the municipality, which will act as a coordination, activation and networking platform for local actors. This structure aims to go beyond traditional approaches by providing a stable operational framework and a collaborative governance model, while maintaining the leading role of the public authority.

The ambition of the project goes beyond the specific case of Etterbeek. It seeks to contribute to the European debate on the revitalisation of local retail by testing a model that can be replicated in similar urban neighbourhoods. Participation in an URBACT network will enrich this approach through exchanges with other cities facing similar challenges, help refine the tools developed, and strengthen the transferability of the proposed solutions.