The zone under consideration, (the former state administrative centre) presents a real discontinuity in the urban fabric due to its modernist character (tower-block construction which belies the land’s sloping gradient) and the purpose for which it is used (exclusively offices, and currently completely unoccupied). The development issues facing the zone relate to both planning and economics. What needs to be done is to create links with adjoining districts (mainly by means of work on the public spaces), while revitalising the site by incorporating a variety of land uses and protecting the modernist urban planning heritage.  

The master plan, which is operational in character, deals with the topics of mobility and financial viability, and includes urban planning reflections based in terms of land use on compliance with the programme defined by higher-level plans, with special attention being paid to the planning of public spaces.

In conclusion, it offers a control panel setting out the various actions which need to be taken, expected  pilot projects and desirable partnerships and the expected results. These operations are associated with an implementation timetable.  

The originality of the process by which the master plan was devised lay in the fact that common objectives for the zone’s development were established among all the actors. This was made possible by holding numerous meetings between actors and recording the solutions opted for at every key stage in the process. Initially, the aim was to create a common public image of the site, then to define a structure for the public space, then to develop possible planning scenarios and finally to stipulate one of the basic scenarios.  

 The master plan’s approval represents a decisive stage for the zone’s future development, as it will be the reference document for the establishment of future sets of regulations. As the planning principles set out in the master plan have been presented to and approved by all the parties (public and private) concerned by the development of the site, they ought not to be called fundamentally into question in future. At this reflective stage, the advantage of a master plan over a plan with regulatory force is the flexibility it leaves  in terms of possible planning variants. The point was to establish prioirities and to define common options before formalising them.  

All the actors are beneficiaries:

 The price quoted in the tender submitted by the consulting firm is €193,960 plus VAT.

This price is broken down into several items, as the tenderer’s team includes a variety of specialities, offering a cross-disciplinary approach to the development of the zone.

Among its competencies are a team specialising in transport, another responsible for the programming aspect of the plan, a third responsible for the financial aspect, and finally a number of urban planning specialists.

Incidentally, an agency responsible for communication with the local residents was also involved in the work. 

Ministry of the Brussels-Capital Region Research and Planning Department
1000 Brussels
Belgium
http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be
Mr Benoît Périlleux, tel. +32 2 2042365

16/12/2005

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Land use, Urban renewal, Urban renewal, Urban renewal