Cities of Making is a 2.5 year JPI Urban Europe funded research project (2017-2019) exploring the future of urban manufacturing in Europe with the focus on three cities: Brussels, London and Rotterdam. The project involves seven organisations: Brussels Enterprises Commerce and Industry, Latitude Platform for Urban Research and Design, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, l'Université libre de Bruxelles (Brussels); Technical University of Delft (Rotterdam); The RSA, University College London (London).
Cities of Making explores opportunities for strengthening urban based manufacturing in European cities following years of decline and offshoring. Using a combination of strategic and action research, our ambition is to identify what works in supporting a resilient and innovative industrial base, and to test those solutions in a real world setting. We will learn from experiences in London, Rotterdam and Brussels – each with a distinct industrial heritage. By the end of the project we will have developed ideas, practices and policies focusing on public authorities (and many other relevant stakeholders) to breathe new life into their manufacturing communities.