The productive economy is invisibly present in the urban fabric of Brussels. It is hidden in warehouses, workshops and all kinds of other industrial spaces. The productive economy has long been an unwanted economy. The urban development projects of the past decades have pushed industry to the outskirts of the city, in favour of new housing and a "clean" service economy. And that while the city benefits from more job opportunities for the low-skilled, and from a more local, sustainable and circular economy. ‘Atelier Brussel: de productieve metropool’ (the productive metropolis) uses the imagination of design research to demonstrate the opportunities productive activities can offer the city, its inhabitants and a changing economy.