SEM IX.

The rehabilitation of Ferencváros was the first urban development project in Budapest that was based on the collaboration between a municipal government and the private sector. The development started in the early 1990s, aiming to revitalise the district through the gradual renovation of dilapidated buildings and the improvement of local quality of life. At the core of the development was the SEM IX mixed economy company, established based on a French model developed in the 1980s. Despite the general recognition of the rehabilitation's success and the durability of its outcomes, the work of SEM IX is little known to the public.

The aim of the conference and city walk is to rediscover the work of SEM IX. The programme showcases the process of the Ferencváros rehabilitation through its Hungarian and French participants, urban development and economic model, mechanisms, and procedures. Organised by the Contemporary Architecture Centre and the French Institute in Budapest, the event seeks to understand and simultaneously present a rehabilitation process to the general public that could serve as a model for future development projects.

The conference and city walk titled “SEM IX in Budapest – The Anatomy of a Sustainable Urban Rehabilitation” was held on 23–24 November 2015, organised by the Contemporary Architecture Centre (CAC) and the French Institute in Budapest.

THE AUDIO AND PRESENTATIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK