11.06.2025
IRI UL Supports Co-creation Planning in Mechelen SOCIALNRG Pilot
Last week, IRI UL carried out its second methodology support visit to Mechelen, Belgium, as part of the EU-funded SOCIALNRG project (LIFE – Clean Energy Transition). The visit aimed to help translate IRI UL’s co-creation methodology into actionable plans for working with residents in the local pilot neighbourhood of Kriekerijvelden. You can read about the first visit to both the Belgian and Italian SOCIALNRG pilots here.
The Kriekerijvelden neighbourhood pilot
In Mechelen, the SOCIALNRG pilot is led by two partners: Woonland, a local social housing provider, and Klimaan, a cooperative focused on renewable energy. The pilot explores the feasibility of a district heating network to support the transition from gas to geothermal energy, with the goal of upgrading all housing units to energy label A.
Kriekerijvelden is a diverse and evolving neighbourhood composed of 149 housing units, 71 of which are owned by Woonland and 78 privately owned. SOCIALNRG aims to create renewable energy communities (RECs) focusing on energy-vulnerable residents living in social, public, or affordable housing, hence their involvement in the clean energy transition is seen as particularly vital.
The upcoming feasibility study under SOCIALNRG will assess geothermal potential, required infrastructure, and high-level implementation plans for a district heating system. The study will also incorporate technical, social, and ownership-related considerations to ensure an inclusive and viable path forward.
Co-creation as core methodology
On 4–5 June 2025, IRI UL anthropologist Sara Arko met with local partners in Mechelen to prepare for the second Co-Creation Workshop with residents. These participatory workshops are at the heart of the SOCIALNRG methodology, enabling local communities to shape REC models that reflect their needs, preferences, and social context.
The workshops are designed to: inform project implementation and investment decisions; co-develop blueprints and policy recommendations that are scalable and adaptable across Europe; and empower residents, especially energy-vulnerable households, through participatory design and decision-making.
The second Co-Creation Workshop will build on insights from earlier resident interviews, focus groups, and the first workshop. Residents will be invited to help co-design scenarios that address both the technical energy components (such as the geothermal network and household roles) and social dimensions (community cohesion, cooperation, and energy sharing practices).
Strengthening social ties through participation
During the visit, the team also toured a newly built social housing project and the Otterbeek neighbourhood – both managed by Woonland – as examples of past housing and renewable energy initiatives fostering local cooperation and resilience. The Otterbeek initiative, part of EU LIFE project TANDEMS, has recently been selected as the Local Energy Action Award winner at the EUSEW Awards 2025!
The participatory process in Mechelen likewise plays a critical role in ensuring that infrastructure investments align with community values and that the transformation to renewable energy is both equitable and inclusive. Ongoing engagement with residents, particularly those most vulnerable, is essential to the success of the pilot and the broader SOCIALNRG mission.
The outcomes of the second workshop will feed directly into SOCIALNRG’s development of bottom-up indicators, and capacity-building activities, while also shaping the vision of a community-owned energy future in Kriekerijvelden.
