society

01 Jun '20

Life is something that happens to you
door Nathalie Dirix

As this is the first time they meet each other, Christine Mussche and Guillaume Van der Stighelen are able to speak without any embarrassment. About life’s satisfactions and disappointments. And their ways of dealing with these phenomena.
01 Apr '20

Melomania
door Nathalie Dirix

Music was my first love. And it will be my last. These words more or less sum up our conversation with Eddy Frans and Jef Neve. Two men with completely different backgrounds but with the same fierce passion for music and life.
01 Mar '20

Business site teeming with life
door Herman Dierickx

After giving the matter much thought, the Machelenbased Athlon Car Lease company opted in 2013 for a complete eco-friendly site design rather than a smallscale green refurbishment. This made the company one of the pioneers in the cause of creating more greenery around company buildings.
01 Mar '20

School places emergency
door Tina Deneyer

The secondary school place shortage is set to be no less than 8.000 by 2024-2025 in the greater Flemish Rand area, according to the Capacity Data Monitor's 2018 report on the educational situation in the region.
01 Feb '20

Seeing things in a different light
door Nathalie Dirix

‘Rather than just telling your own story, it’s just as important to look at other people’s backgrounds so as to be able to gain another perspective. People need to be…
01 Nov '19

Never-ending stupidity
door Nathalie Dirix

Braeckman: ‘We come from very different worlds and yet we share the same fascination for the brain and people. I am particularly interested in the question of why individuals, despite…
01 Oct '19

Cities 'smartening up' for the future
door Wim Troch

A ‘smart city’ is what the future has in store for us. But what does that mean exactly? And why should a city have to be ‘smart’ anyway? Is this new technology an improvement or will it just be something to cater for the whims of technology freaks?
01 Sep '19

The art of growing old
door Nathalie Dirix

Now that Jan Hautekiet and Peter Vandermeersch have both reached a turning point in their lives, this is an ideal opportunity to talk to them about what letting go and getting older does to a person.
01 Jun '19

Higher risk of flooting
door Luc Vanheerentals

Larger rivers are set to reach or exceed the critical water level one-third more often by 2100 and smaller ones twice as often, with the percentage of buildings that can be flooded rising from 25% to 41%.
01 Jun '19

A family is more than flesh and blood
door Nathalie Dirix

Aletha Wallace was 15 years old when she fled the civil war in Liberia.
01 Jun '19

Dirty air a problem for five municipalities
door Tina Deneyer

The quality of the air in the streets of the Vlaamse Rand is question on a lot of people’s minds.
01 May '19

Do unto others,...
door Nathalie Dirix

Commentators Walter Zinzen and Rik Van Cauwelaert are known for presenting political views in an entertaining way but do they view life from the same clear-sighted perspective?
01 Apr '19

Diversity is an opportunity
door Nathalie Dirix

More and more companies and organisations are beginning to see diversity as an asset because ‘By attracting people from different backgrounds (gender, culture, age, religion,...), you can acquire a wealth…
01 Mar '19

Fearing for the worst but hoping for the best
door Heidi Wauters

Back to June 2016, when the United Kingdom was holding a referendum on whether or not to stay in the European Union. The leavers won by securing 51.9% of the votes. It was a non-binding referendum but the British government was committed to respecting the outcome.
01 Feb '19

'Here you learn things they don't teach you at school'
door Wim Troch

Sunday afternoon. That means tens of thousands of children and young people up and down the country are enjoying the fun and games on offer in youth clubs. Over in Sint-Brixius-Rode (Meise) 10 or so scout leaders are on hand every week to help about 130 boys and girls have a great time.
01 Dec '18

'a need for something greater than our existence'
door Nathalie Dirix

I can’t come to terms with the idea that all the things you’ve built up in your head during a whole lifetime just disappear when you die. I am really amazed by the thought that human beings are awash with a whole ocean of images, feelings and memories.
01 Dec '18

Two generations under one roof
door Gerard Hautekeur

The rapidly growing interest in assisted living facilities is a positive development for both generations, according to Karine Devillers, who is currently converting her home in Zellik into such a home, in full compliance with urban standards.
01 Nov '18

Scan of our spaces
door Bart Claes

‘The Bouwmeester Scan is designed to help municipalities with their spatial planning for people and nature in a liveable environment, says the Flemish Chief Architect Leo Van Broeck.
01 Oct '18

Eager to help
door Wim Troch

‘It all started with running errands from time to time. And then I ended up doing voluntary work on a regular basis.’
01 Oct '18

New uses for large farms
door Gerard Hautekeur

Various municipal authorities in the Rand and Pajottenland are looking for new ways of using large empty farms. Particularly in view of the high demand for multi-family dwellings and co-housing.
01 Sep '18

Three mayors set to drop out of politics
door Luc Vanheerental

Whatever the outcome of the October municipal elections, no less than three mayors will be disappearing from the Flemish Rand’s political scene in 2019: Dirk Brankaer from Overijse, Eddie De Block from Merchtem and Marleen Mertens from Grimbergen.
01 Sep '18

Ploughing their own furrows
door Nathalie Dirix

Wim Distelmans. Josse De Pauw. The pair of them from the same year. They both followed their own paths. And look where they ended up. Far from the beaten paths. Closer to their true selves.
01 Jun '18

'Mixing business with pleasure'
door Wim Troch

Something of a fixture in Zaventem, the Gezinsbond has almost 450 members and carries out a dozen or so initiatives every year.
01 Jun '18

Too little, too late
door Karla Goetvinck

The Flemish Rand differs from an average Flemish municipality owing to its higher population density, growth and diversity. Nor is the surrounding infrastructure the same as in a non-urban context.
01 May '18

Small municipalities could be forced to merge
door Anne Peeters

The Flemish Rand abounds in small municipalities, including those with language facilities. These entities are struggling to keep operating efficiently owing to the growing number of tasks they have to contend with.
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