Speakers

Jolein Bergers is a Brussels-based researcher and designer working in the fields of urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture. Rather than navigating a single discipline, she focuses on the overlaps, frictions, connections, and shared questions between them. Her main interest lies in engaging with the liveliness of cities through design, actively working with the entangled, everyday interactions between human and other-than-human life—such as plants, animals, soils, and other living entities.Her PhD research at KU Leuven (2024) developed Rubber Boots Design Anthropology, a field-oriented methodology combining design, ecology, and anthropology to engage with multispecies entanglements in planning and design. Collaborations with citizen groups and environmental organisations are central to this work.Currently Jolein is part of the non-profit Blikveld vzw and the landscape architecture office Plant en Houtgoed, where she is contributing to critical and research-driven design projects.Previously, she worked with Architecture Workroom Brussels, 51N4E, the University of Antwerp, and the citizen movement BRAL, and has taught in various architecture and urban design programmes.

​Ursula Wieser Benedetti is a curator for Landscape Architecture at CIVA Brussels, an archive centre and museum for Landscape Architecture and Architecture. 

She holds degrees in Landscape Architecture, Japanese Studies and Landscape architectural theory & history (EHESS, Paris). Her research focuses on the history of landscape architecture in Belgium, on the notion of boundaries, and on Japanese gardens in Japan and in the West.

She curates exhibitions and events around landscape architecture, exploring its history to better understand its present and envision future practice. She also organises the René Pechère Landscape Architecture Book Prize. She is the author and editor of  various publications, amongst which 'Brussels, Two and a Half Centuries of Public Parks and Gardens' (CIVA, 2019).  

For more than 20 years, she practiced as a landscape architect in France, Austria and Italy, working on a wide spectrum of projects ranging from park design, urban design, riverside developments to new-town planning and motorways. 

Simon De Muynck coordinates the Centre for Urban Ecology in Brussels, where he leads projects focused on urban ecology, participatory research, and environmental education.

He holds a Master's degree in Environmental Science and Management (ULB-IGEAT). He has been a visiting professor at several universities/colleges, an assistant and a researcher at the ULB. 

Trained in environmental science, he works at the intersection of academic research and hands-on practice to tackle some of the city’s most urgent ecological issues.

He teaches, supervises research, and partners with universities and public institutions on topics like urban metabolism, bio-waste management, and climate adaptation. 

Simon's current domains of interest are urban political ecology and participative sciences.

Guillaume Herr-Zekanowski a qualified OPQU urban planner, that works across all territorial scales and domains, both in France and other international countries such as Lithuania. His cross-disciplinary approach to urban development and territorial strategy allows him to develop integrated models that address challenges at every level of a project.
These models are designed to be both sustainable and adaptable, responsive to change while aligning with broader urban, environmental, economic, and social dynamics.
Guillaume shares his expertise and passion as a trainer in urban and territorial professions,organizing on-site study seminars and events focused on the key issues shaping cities and regions today.

Catherine Vilquin is a distinguished urban planner and building architect, and Partner at XMU-Urbanistes. With a career spanning over a decade on projects in vulnerable territories with limited resources, including the Mekong Delta, Haiti, and Peru, she has deep experience in applying thoughtful, contextual design to complex environments. In 2016, she joined XMU to bring that global insight to local Belgian contexts.

A deeply committed environmental advocate, Catherine recently earned two certificates in permaculture design (PDC 2022 & 2024), integrating water, soil, biodiversity, and greenery into every mission XMU takes on.  Her approach ensures that urban development respects natural systems while enhancing ecological resilience.

She also holds significant leadership roles at the European level. Catherine has served on the Executive Board of the European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP-CEU) as a Belgian delegate from the Chamber of Urban Planners of Belgium (CUB) since 2019, and represents the CUB in relations with IFLA-Europe.

Jérôme Kockerols brings expertise in competition management and circular architecture to his role at the Brussels Bouwmeester (Maître Architecte). As a key member of BMA’s team, he helps shape innovative design strategies that prioritise reuse and sustainability across Brussels’s urban fabric.

He is also co-author of Real Life Brussels, a compelling publication that explores the transformation and renovation of ageing social housing in Brussels, bridging architectural, historical, environmental, and societal perspectives. The book reflects his commitment to collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches to urban renewal.

With a professional focus on competitions and regenerative design, Jérôme works at the intersection where practical planning meets visionary policy, offering fresh, resilient models for landscape architecture and urban development.

Haris Piplas is an urban designer and development expert who brings a deeply international perspective to his work. Having lived in cities like Berlin, Sarajevo, Milan, Copenhagen, Vienna, and Zürich, he’s shaped by their energy—and channels that into creating more inclusive, responsive urban spaces.
Haris believes cities should reflect the people who live in them. That’s why collaboration, research, and activism are central to everything he does. Whether he’s developing practical tools, designing new planning methods, or bringing diverse voices to the table, his goal is always the same: to turn big ideas into tangible change.
His work spans countries and continents—from Switzerland and the Balkans to China and Latin America—and always focuses on connecting local realities with broader urban futures. Over the years, Haris has taken on roles such as Young Leader Chairman of the Urban Land Institute and advisor to the European Forum Alpbach. He’s also actively involved with ISOCARP, the Kyiv Canactions School of Urban Studies, and the Ukrainian National Union of Architects.
Beyond advisory roles, Haris contributes as a speaker, teacher, and researcher. He’s helped shape major initiatives like Jakarta’s Smart City Strategy, Mannheim’s climate-adaptive Smartilience project, and neighborhood plans in Basel, Berlin, and Milan. He holds a master’s in urban design and a doctorate from ETH Zurich, and was nominated for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

Building architect, Urban designer and strategic planner, Diego Luna Quintanilla focuses on the politics of space, socio-cultural context, and inclusive design. 
Diego earned his architecture degree from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas (2005) and completed the European Postgraduate Masters in Urbanism (TU Delft, KU Leuven, UPC, IUAV) in 2011.
His career began in Caracas, where he was leading projects at ODA Oficina de Arquitectura followed by one year independently working. His work earned a Special Recognition in the 2008 Sabana Grande Boulevard competition.
Since 2011, he’s been part of BUUR (Bureau voor Urbanisme) in Belgium, where he has managed and designed a wide range of urban projects. His work spans from major plans like Mediapark in Brussels, the Biestebroeck basin in Anderlecht, and Pegasus Park in Diegem, to regional and territorial strategies across Flanders. He’s also contributed to BUUR’s international projects in Lithuania, Pakistan, Spain, and Tunisia.
Alongside his professional practice, Diego has been active in academia. He also collaborates with local organizations in Brussels, including the Urban Ecology Center and OSMOS Network, on cross-disciplinary planning initiatives. In 2016, he co-founded Cakri Cultural Projects, a platform that explores the street as a space for cultural expression and public life.

Urban planner at BRAT and BUUR since 2014. Involved in urban development processes and complex urban projects in Brussels and Wallonia. Her career has led her to work on sectoral studies in various fields, producing regulatory planning documents, as well as participating in research on sustainable urban planning through several years of collaboration with the RBC Facilitation Department.

Hélène is also a core member of the expert committee driving the “Good Living” regulatory reform, an ambitious project aiming to reshape Brussels’ urban development rules around equity, health, climate resilience, and human-centred design. Beyond her regulatory work, she initiated and led the master planning of the Ecoquartier Coronmeuse in Liège - a living-lab for inclusive, sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood design that reflects her skill in stakeholder coordination, phasing, and operational strategy. With a practice shaped equally by research and implementation, Hélène injects rigor, vision, and inclusive dialogue into every context she engages.

Roselyne de Lestrange is building architect, landscape architect and urbanist PhD. She works as a planner at the environment administration of Brussels Capital Region (Bruxelles Environnement- Leefmilieu Brussel), in the Territorial Strategy Department of the Green Spaces Division. She is involved in the coordination and implementation of the regional and national Nature Restoration Plan, conducted researches on Urban nature plans et urban forestry, and has been Brussels Policy officer for nature, biodiversity and forest during Belgian EU presidency. She is also professor at UCLouvain at the Faculty of architecture and urbanism. Under a bioregional thinking her resarches focus on Landscape Strategies for Climate Change mitigation & adaptation, Urban ecosystems and Nature Based Solutions, and Agroecological urbanism.

Björn Bracke is a landscape architect and urban designer. He’s currently doing doctoral research at KU Leuven, where he's part of the PPUL research group and involved in the CO-HABITAT project, which looks at how design can shape relationships between humans and animals in Brussels. Alongside that, he also supervises several master's theses.
Björn is the founder of Kollektif Landscape, a design agency working on landscape and urban projects. He also helped start and now leads Blikveld, the professional association for landscape architecture in Belgium.
He’s taught at ENSP in Versailles and at the School of Arts in Ghent. His previous work and research have dealt with climate change, biodiversity, and urban renewal—areas he's also written about in various publications.
Björn studied architecture and urbanism at the Higher Institute of Saint Lucas Ghent, and landscape architecture at the Erasmushogeschool in Brussels. After graduating, he worked with SCAPE Studio in New York and OMGEVING in Antwerp.

Joke Vande Maele is a landscape architect, urban planner, and co-founder of Kollektif Landscape. She brings people, places, and nature together through her work, and she shares this passion with her students as a design lecturer at KASK & Conservatory in Ghent.

Her path started in 2010 with a Bachelor in Landscape and Garden Architecture at KASK Ghent, followed by a Master in Urban Planning and Spatial Development at KU Leuven (Sint-Lucas Ghent). Since then, she has grown into a designer who loves to move between different scales - shaping small, intimate spaces as much as large territorial visions.

Curious and committed, Joke is always looking for ways landscapes can strengthen communities, support ecology, and create places where people feel connected.

Daphné Roels is a geographer and heritage expert, and an Associate at Omgeving, a leading Belgian office for urbanism, landscape, and architecture. At Omgeving, she combines her expertise in geography and cultural heritage to guide projects that integrate ecological, spatial, and historical dimensions.

Her work emphasizes the sensitive relationship between people, place, and memory, ensuring that planning and design processes respect both natural systems and cultural landscapes. Daphné has contributed to a wide range of projects in Belgium and abroad, including international design competitions such as the landscape development of the Han River in Da Nang, Vietnam.

With a strong background in spatial analysis, heritage management, and territorial development, she plays a key role in multidisciplinary teams, helping to shape resilient and meaningful environments that connect past, present, and future.

Luc Wallays is a landscape architect and urban planner with a deep passion for shaping both spaces and processes. Since 2002, he has been leading design projects at the intersection of landscape and urbanism. Before that, he spent over two decades as a lead designer and team leader at various Dutch design firms. 
His work spans everything from public space design and infrastructure integration (for cyclists, cars, and public transport) to nature development, urban planning for new residential areas (including VINEX projects in the Netherlands and Belgium), sustainable business parks, and master plans for sports facilities.
He’s also deeply interested in how planning processes are structured, especially when tackling complex challenges. Luc shares his fascination for the field by serving on juries and regularly guest lecturing on topics related to public space.

Bas Smets has a background in landscape architecture, civil engineering and building architecture. He founded his firm in Brussels in 2007 and has since completed more than 50 projects internationally with his team of 25 building architects and landscape architects. These projects vary in scale from territorial visions to infrastructural landscapes, from large parks to private gardens, from city centres to film sets.

His realised projects include the Parc des Ateliers in Arles, the park of Thurn & Taxis in Brussels, the public space around the Trinity Tower in Paris La Défense, the Sunken Garden and Mandrake Hotel in London, and the Himara Waterfront in Albania. In 2022 he won the international competition for public space around the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.

In 2023 Bas Smets was appointed Professor in Practice at the Graduate School of Design of Harvard University. With his design studio he explores new ways to transform the city into an urban ecology, capable of producing cooling microclimates to counter climate change.