Laissé au Hasard: A Study of Uses and Experiences of a Former Coal Mining Site in Wallonia

Abstract

This master thesis investigates the uses of and the emotions, and experiences attached to a former coal mining site located in the province of Liège, Wallonia. This site is located in a semi-urban environment experiencing rapid urban growth in the last few years. Formerly heavily industrialised, it has now become covered in vegetation and could be characterised as a wood setting. The site, commonly referred to as the Hasard, is still the private property of the former Colliery and is therefore officially closed to the public. However, this does not stop hundreds of people from using it weekly. This thesis studies the user profile, the activities carried on site, and what the site represents to its users and the residents living next to it. It also investigates the different institutional actors and the past history of the place in order to contextualise and frame user and resident responses. The methods used are of qualitative nature, including semistructured interviews and exploratory observation. Sixty hours of structured observations were also carried out on site in order to identify the diversity of uses and users. Ultimately, the results of the fieldwork show that the Hasard site is a very dynamic space serving many uses such as cycling, dumping waste, strolling, sledging, playing, hanging out, and driving motorcycles. It brings in people a wide range of emotions and experiences, from fear and wonder to blissfulness and there were very few people wishing for it to disappear. The site serves a very important function in the area. It is a ‘free’ public space where there is no control and no exclusion. It answers a need for nature and is linked to a very strong place identity in the neighbourhood. However, the future of the Hasard is uncertain. Highway plans, as well as abusive users and institutional miscommunication, threaten its existence.