City of Tomorrow In Brussels, an exploration of 1000+ Solutions

Brussels, Belgium, September 2, 2024 - From September 2nd, 2024 to January 10th, 2025, Tour & Taxis is hosting the City of Tomorrow exhibition, following on from last year's success at the museum Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in Paris. Conceived and produced by eco-explorer Bertrand Piccard's Solar Impulse Foundation, this exploration of 1000+ solutions focuses on the issues and solutions involved in the ecological transition in the urban environment.

Through a fun and educational trail, this free exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore the many innovative ways in which today's technologies can protect the environment while promoting economic development and quality of life. Visitors can discover concrete, efficient solutions developed in the fields of energy, water, construction, sustainable housing, mobility and waste management. Following on from the pioneering spirit embodied by the Solar Impulse aircraft, which circumnavigated the globe powered by solar energy, Ville de Demain presents the range of possibilities for a sustainable city. An immersive journey into a world on the move towards solving the climate challenge, with innovative technologies, committed innovators and a call to our collective boldness to believe in our potential for change.

“My ultimate aim is to give an attractive and unifying vision of ecology. Talking about climate problems without talking about solutions, as we so often do, engenders a feeling of powerlessness that leads to eco-anxiety, discouragement and, as a result, inaction. So let's transform the narrative, moving from a sacrificial and penalising ecological transition to an exciting economic and social opportunity. By presenting existing technical solutions, this exhibition will show you that it is possible, starting today, to reduce the waste of energy and resources, and to modernise our world to make it more efficient and cleaner. It's not just about the climate, it's also about our quality of life,” says Bertrand Piccard, Chairman and Initiator of the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Over the last six years, the Solar Impulse Foundation has identified more than 1,600 ecological, realistic and economically viable solutions, which received the “Efficient Solution” label after a strict evaluation by independent experts who studied and analysed their ecological and economic performance. These innovations, from all over the world, are ready to replace polluting practices and be deployed on a large scale.

Our world is changing, and cities, which are responsible for 75% of CO2 emissions, urgently need to embark on the ecological transition. This transformation is not only possible, but also beneficial. This exhibition shows that it is time to move on from rhetoric to the practical application of innovative solutions capable of generating both economic prosperity and environmental well-being, while mobilising individuals, entrepreneurs and politicians to build a sustainable and collective city. It illustrates that the European Green Pact can be an engine for growth, and that our economic and climate objectives can be reconciled.

At a time when the Brussels region is committed to significantly reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable living, some of the Belgian solutions showing at the exhibition bear witness to this commitment, such as Floya for mobility, Zypho® for energy management, AQS by Aquarius for water network management, Hempcrete block by ISOHEMP, Gramitherm and Dramix® for construction, and Noosa and Back2Buzz for waste recycling.

Ville de Demain benefits from the sponsorship of the City of Brussels, Bruxelles Environnement, creators of the BELEXPO exhibition, and NetZeroCities, which is supporting the EU in its mission to help 100 European cities achieve climate neutrality by 2030. Similarly, as a major player in sustainable mobility, with a major environmental, economic and social impact, the Société Bruxelloise de Transport Public is supporting the exhibition as a principal partner. This is an opportunity for the STIB to present its commitment to the modernisation and expansion of the network, the transition to sustainable transport, accessibility, fluidity at peak times, the development of digital solutions and collaboration with other modes of transport to offer combined mobility solutions, thereby reducing dependence on the private car. This partnership also puts the emphasis on behavioural solutions, the power of each individual to contribute to a sustainable city.

“We salute the initiative of Bertrand Piccard and the Solar Impulse Foundation, which is helping the general public to understand the challenges of the ecological transition. It is important for the STIB to support this initiative. Public transport is one of the concrete solutions that enable us to act effectively in favour of the ecological transition. The STIB and its staff are proud to be taking part in this major challenge for our urban environment and would like to thank its one million daily customers for their contribution,” says Brieuc de Meeûs, CEO of the STIB.

To tackle the complex subject of the ecological transition of cities and present the avenues for possible change in an accessible, fun and engaging way, the Solar Impulse Foundation has once again called on Cartoonbase and its creative director Martin Saive. This Belgian visual storytelling agency uses the powers of visual storytelling to support messages aimed at transforming society.

According to Martin Saive, “There are many advantages to using illustrations to talk about such a major issue. The drawings bring everyone up to speed on understanding the issues. And then there's the emotional, light-hearted side, which may encourage people to go further, read the explanations and take greater ownership of the solutions. Supporting Solar Impulse's positive message once again is an incredible opportunity and a source of pride for me.”

Through the promotion of efficiency, the main theme of this exhibition, the Solar Impulse Foundation is encouraging people to build a sustainable world in which innovation is used to promote collective prosperity.

The exhibition is open everyday from 8H30 to 20h 30.