Starting from what our neighbourhood 'can be'
3 nov 2026
Author:
Joke Quintens (Wetopia)
The neighbourhood Belsunce in Marseille is too often described by what it lacks, and young people learn to see it that way. In We Are Streetwise, young people and Contact Club start from what the neighbourhood holds instead. The Power of Place turns familiar streets into a source of talent, belonging and purpose.
Places that are labelled as problems rarely get the chance to show what they hold. Belsunce, in the heart of Marseille, knows this better than most. Seen from the outside, it is described by what is missing, what feels unsafe or what needs fixing, and the young people who grow up there learn to see it the same way.
'We Are Streetwise' begins somewhere else. Funded by Erasmus+ and connecting Marseille, Antwerp and Utrecht, the project rests on a simple belief: every young person has a dream and a talent, and our role is to create the conditions in which both can flourish. In Marseille, we work with Contact Club and Addap13, which has supported young people in the city-centre neighbourhoods for more than sixty years. Its team is deeply rooted in Belsunce, Noailles, La Joliette and Carmes.
This is where the Power of Place comes in. Rooted in regenerative development, our approach asks young people to look at familiar ground with fresh eyes: not only at what is wrong, but at what can be, and at the capacity to bring it about. Belsunce offers plenty to start from. Its central position means that many worlds pass through it. It is a place where cultures, languages and stories meet. And it is home to young people who know it better than anyone, because they grew up there, live there or cross it every day.
Karim Loukil embodies this. As a former young resident of Belsunce who was himself supported by Contact Club, he is now a youth worker and head of educational programmes. His journey shows how individual pathways can become collective strength.
Thinking in terms of potential changes the work. Complaining is easy; looking for what a place can offer takes effort. But it gives energy, motivation and a desire to discover what is possible. It is also how the We Are Streetwise methodology works in practice: from proactive street outreach, through identifying talents and aspirations, to development plans co-designed with the young people themselves.
`In Marseille, 50 youngsters are taking part, with particular attention to young women. You can hear it in the voices of Jawdan, Mohamed and Amir, three young men shaped by Contact Club. They speak of their neighbourhood, their strong bond with Marseille and their wish to give back to younger generations.'
This is what we mean by the power of place. It is not a backdrop to youth work, but its source. Because ideas and pathways grow from local heritage, character and strengths, they feel recognisable and belong to the young people who shape them. And because they begin from what a place can be rather than what it lacks, they invite others to join: families, neighbours, organisations and policymakers.
Youth work in Belsunce is not built despite the place, but with it.
More information:
A well-known song about Belsunce:
Photos © Wetopia by Razzi.https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CUiLdYH20nkQWAFf2GJiQ?si=Ma5nUdC0SbSlM1FOLi5z5A