EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Urban renovation in Saint-Leonard, Liège

Urban renovation in Saint-Leonard, Liège

Introduction

Between 1998 and 2008, the housing stock in the Saint-Leonard neighbourhood in Liège will have increased by 46 units for a total investment of 5,692,000€ excluding the operations of the Walloon Housing Found and the AIS. The global investment already done or to be realised in the short term within the framework of the urban regeneration of this neighbourhood is more than 16.000.000€.

Problem

Saint-Leonard is considered as ZIP-QI due to high percentage of lonely persons (50%), more than 35% of single-parent households, 65% tenants, 33,7% foreigners, old Belgian population and principally women above 65 years, economic weakness of the population and 31% unemployment in the active population.

According to a working group on housing, the housing issue is very complex in Saint-Leonard. It is thus necessary to work along three lines:

renovation operations
monitoring housing quality
providing information to tenants and owners.

Description

All activities in the neighbourhood are directed towards the main goal of ´valorising the neighbourhood as a living and lively environment.´
The operational objectives of investments in Saint-Leonard are:

improving access to Saint-Leonard from other neighbourhoods;
revalorising the neighbourhood perception, by working on issues concerning identity, and feeling of belonging and by creating new economic activities and development of service enterprises-friendly infrastructure;
encouraging the establishment of artists and arts enterprises; developing sport facilities and also innovative experiences regarding urban life and citizenship;
improving living environment and community facilities through among others through the support of building renovation and new community facilities;
creating an (economic) free zone.

Approach

The renovation operations of the City of Liège and its public and private partners are the following:

creation of housing aiming at more social diversity;
planning of public spaces;
planning of community facilities and green spaces;
planning of economic spaces.

Target group

All the residents of the Saint-Leonard neighbourhood. Italians and Spaniards are the inhabitants of non-Belgian origin most represented in the neighbourhood.

Contact info

City of Liège
Gregor Stengherlin (project manager), tel. +32 4 355 28 51

Project start date

//1998

Links

For more information, please visit the website of the City of Liège

Download a case study on housing in Liège by the CLIP network (PDF, Eng, 182 kB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Urban environment