Abstract

Temporary placemaking through adaptive reuse is an evolving urban practice, originally stemming from informal occupations and progressively becoming more integrated into the planning and management of temporary unused properties. It arises through the organization of communities, more or less spontaneously, coming together to transform abandoned spaces into active and meaningful places. While these communities contribute to placemaking, they generate urban values that we can refer to as "nomadic values." This article, as part of the research project HORIZONMSCA- 2022-PF-01 NOMAD - Nomad Management of Urban Development - The complex value of temporary communities, explores how these communities play a part in redefining the urban environment within a specific timeframe of use and management of buildings and spaces in transition. This paper aims to answer the following research question: How do temporary communities engaged in temporary adaptive reuse contribute to the redefinition of urban environments by generating nomadic values? Within this analysis, various forms of resources and urban capital are examined, including social, cultural, and economic capital, all of which contribute to resignifying abandoned spaces and transforming them into places where new values are brought forth. Social capital emerges through a sense of belonging, social cohesion, and resource-sharing, while cultural capital is manifested through the enhancement of knowledge, art, traditions, and culture.Economic capital can be generated through the attraction of small or large investments, the establishment of small businesses, or the increase in the real estate value of the site and its surrounding area. The process of reactivation and placemaking involves a multitude of actors, including local communities, public institutions, property owners of unused spaces, urban activists, and citizens. These actors collaborate, often through agreements and negotiations that impact the management, use, and life of buildings and spaces. This interaction can lead to a balance between public and private interests, contributing to the creation of more vibrant and inclusive places, although challenges and issues are not uncommon. Through the comparison and analysis of active and past cases in Rotterdam and Brussels, this contribution aims to explore how temporary communities can generate a complex network of urban values involving various actors and resources and where these values manifest. This comparison is carried out through data analysis and maps of temporary placemaking processes, using both data collected from actors directly involved in temporary uses, as well as open-source information. By highlighting the nomadic values this research aims to better understand the impacts of temporary adaptive reuse through commons, facilitating dialogue among actors in decision-making processes, and promoting the availability of unused spaces as temporary places open to new possibilities while highlighting the challenges at hand.