Economic growth devoid of social progress: the situation in Brussels

Abstract

This article examines the economic and social evolutions in Brussels over the past two decades. Despite favourable economic evolutions during this period, the social situation has continued to deteriorate, with increasingly higher unemployment rates and growing social inequalities. Although this situation exists in the other major Belgian cities, it is much more pronounced in Brussels. This is due to multiple dynamics, including the evolution of the labour demand towards increasingly higher requirements in terms of skills, which plays an important role by excluding the least qualified people from the labour market. The aggravating role of the spatial concentration of disadvantaged populations -which is especially pronounced in Brussels -is also emphasised. The article ends with a discussion of the pertinence of regional policies, in particular as regards the emphasis placed on the international positioning of Brussels. Gilles Van Hamme is a research assistant in geography at

Socio‐economic stratification of English in globalized landscapes: A market‐oriented perspective

“…Can we expect more variability on display as polarization of the populations continues to increase, as GINI coefficient data suggest for Brussels (Van Hamme, Wertz and Biot )? Will the use of English across globalized markets reflect these evolving local economies?…”

“…Globalisation has thus intensified the historical role of Amsterdam as a merchant city and of Brussels as a diplomatic stronghold and has made the roles far more global than before. Despite their well‐established Keynesian welfare state models, both capitals face increasing social inequality (Burgers and van der Waal ; Van Hamme, Wertz and Biot ).…”

“…Despite their well-established Keynesian welfare state models, both capitals face increasing social inequality (Burgers and van der Waal 2008;Van Hamme, Wertz and Biot 2011).…”

Migratory movements and dynamics of neighbourhoods in Brussels

“…It must nevertheless be borne in mind that these territorial effects have much less of an impact than social characteristics (gender, social background, nationality, etc. ) on the future of individuals [Van Hamme et al, 2011] and that the geographic deconcentration of poverty is thus not a satisfactory response to the social issue in Brussels.…”

Cities’ attraction and retention of graduates: a more-than-economic approach

“…Brussels and, to a lesser extent, Antwerp, could be reduced owing to an inferior (perceived) liveability compared with smaller cities, such as Namur, Mons, adds up to its (perceived) attractiveness. So despite the job opportunities in the labour market that demand increasingly high requirements in terms of skills (Van Hamme, Wertz & Biot, 2011), the BCR seemingly is unable to overcome sensed differences in quality of life compared with suburban or other areas.…”