Brussels: What European urban narrative?
Philippe Perchoc
The ‘narrative turn’ in European studies mainly focused on the documents and speeches about integration. Another dimension has largely been left aside: a possible narrative of Europe as conveyed by urban landscape main seat institutions, Brussels. city is not impressive capital such as, Washington, monuments buildings are discreet because was only confirmed Union (EU) 1992. therefore embodied scattered across city. An analysis Brussels shows three different layers this narrative: pre-EU cultural historical elements related to mythology or Middle Ages, founding fathers EU, cold war period well reunification. Nevertheless, these components lack ordering emplotment necessary for strong narrative, even if institutions recently unveiled projects mobile applications which put those wider framework.
Journal of Contemporary European Studies