Long perceived as merely a transit country squeezed between Paris, London, and the Ruhr, Belgium is now a true laboratory for urban transformation. Between major brownfield redevelopment projects, reimagined mobility, evolving port logistics, and “smart city” strategies, the territory is being reshaped at high speed. These initiatives are not limited to a few architectural icons: they affect the way people live, work, move around, and even produce energy in cities.
In Belgium, urban planning is a competence managed by the Regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels-Capital). Each follows its own roadmap, while respecting European frameworks like the Green Deal or the Leipzig Charter. This organization creates a mosaic of local initiatives that, together, are redesigning the country’s urban geography.
Brussels, Showcase of a Metropolis in Recomposition
The Brussels-Capital Region (1.2 million inhabitants over 162 km²) concentrates a major share of upcoming urban development projects. Its strategy is structured by a range of tools – regional plans, neighborhood contracts, mobility plans, international projects – that frame the transformation of vast areas.
A Long-Term Vision: PRDD, BXL 2050 and the “Proximity City”
The foundation of this strategy is the Regional Sustainable Development Plan (PRDD), adopted to guide urbanization until 2040. It aims for a “mixed and compact” city: densifying without sprawling, combining housing, jobs and services, limiting car dependency and strengthening social cohesion.
At the municipal level, the City of Brussels has developed the BXL 2050 plan, a complete overhaul of its 2004 plan. Seven major ambitions structure this document, from “the city that breathes” to “the proximity city”. The key idea is that of the “10-minute city”: providing every resident with access to essential services within a very short radius. An interactive mapping tool, accessible to the public, allows for identifying gaps in facilities across four categories (living environment, community life, residential economy, mobility) and calibrating future interventions.
Simultaneously, the regional land use plan (PRAS) is being revised under the slogan “Share the City”, with a clear goal: to better share space between urban functions and the public, based on a logic of inclusion and mixed use.
Major Transformation Perimeters: From Mediapark to Tour & Taxis
Several “strategic zones” concentrate upcoming investments: the European quarter, Tour & Taxis, Schaerbeek-Formation, the areas around Midi station, and Mont des Arts. These sectors combine challenges of mobility, international image, and brownfield redevelopment.
This is the area in square meters of the landscaped park that will form the backbone of the new Mediapark district.
Nearby, the Tour & Taxis site continues its transformation with the Lake Side project led by developer Nextensa. Seventeen buildings, designed by a panel of Belgian and international architects (MVRDV, 3XN, Cobe, Effekt, Binst, Polo, Hub), will add approximately 800 housing units – including co-living – and several tens of thousands of square meters of offices, retail, and leisure, at the foot of a nine-hectare park already in use. The focus is on sustainable construction (hybrid wood structures, green and energy-producing roofs, dominant use of brick) and an urban planning by “zones” mixing a tertiary campus, residential courtyard, and a park-side tower.
A quick summary of these two Brussels projects gives a sense of the transformations:
| Project | Total Area | Planned Housing Units | Targeted Jobs | Park / Green Spaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mediapark | 20 ha | 1,600 | ~5,000 | 9 ha park |
| Lake Side (Tour & Taxis) | ~140,000 m² built | ~800 (including co-living) | not quantified, mix of offices/retail | Existing 9 ha park + landscaped spaces |
These programs embody a central challenge for Brussels: transforming large single-function sites (audiovisual sites, logistics warehouses) into porous districts, where housing coexists with productive activities, services, and parks.
Railway Brownfields and Station Districts: Josaphat, Bordet, Gare de l’Ouest, Midi
Another key thread of Brussels’ transformation: the redevelopment of railway brownfields and station districts, considered regional “gateways”.
The Josaphat brownfield redevelopment project, a railway site of over 30 hectares in northeast Brussels, plans to create a new residential district. It will be structured around a 7-hectare landscaped park and include about 1,400 housing units, daycare centers, schools, healthcare facilities, and 9,600 m² of offices. Located just seven minutes by subway from the European quarter, this project aims to address housing market pressure while reintegrating a long-isolated area into the city.
At the northeastern extremity, the Bordet area (about 200 hectares) is also slated for densification. The plan includes: new housing, offices, retail, cultural and leisure facilities, organized around an intermodal hub combining train, tram, bus, RER, metro line 3, and bicycle. The idea is to make it a metropolitan hub rather than a simple road junction.
On the west bank of the canal, the Gare de l’Ouest perimeter (Molenbeek) illustrates the Master Development Plan (PAD) method: a 13-hectare site is being redesigned into a complete neighborhood, backed by a major transport hub. The project combines a multi-hectare park, housing, retail, offices, and new roadways for active mobility. Two real estate projects – Ekla and Go West – have already been delivered there, foreshadowing the upcoming densification.
To the south, the vast Midi district project aims to transform the country’s main international station (18 million annual travelers) into a “station for residents” rather than just a transport interchange. Plans focus on the redevelopment and greening of public spaces, improving public transport access, and creating a true living neighborhood. The SNCB is building its new headquarters there, intended to bring together some 4,000 employees, a strong signal of the intention to permanently anchor office jobs in the area.
Urban Renovation Contracts: Targeted Interventions, Leverage Effects
Beyond major masterplans, Brussels deploys a series of Urban Renovation Contracts (CRU) and Sustainable Neighborhood Contracts (CQD), multi-year programs targeting fragile areas. The idea: combine renovation of public space, creation of affordable housing, and socio-cultural facilities, often in close partnership with municipalities.
Five recent CRUs illustrate this approach well:
| Renovation Contract | Key Municipality(ies) | Key Interventions |
|---|---|---|
| CRU 1 “Citroën – Vergote” | Brussels City | New Magasin 4 concert hall, redevelopment of canal surroundings |
| CRU 2 “Brabant – Nord – Saint-Lazare” | Schaerbeek, Brussels | Greening of railway embankments, conversion of a synagogue into a hip-hop center, creation of a student/neighborhood center |
| CRU 3 “Gare de l’Ouest” | Anderlecht | Reactivation of the Maison du Peuple, production workshops along the canal, ten social housing units, new fire station with gym open to residents |
| CRU 4 “Avenue du Roi” | Forest | Reconfiguration of avenues into permeable roadways, transformation of an old cinema (Movy Club) into a socio-cultural hub |
| CRU 5 “Heyvaert – Poincaré” | Anderlecht, Molenbeek | Partial reconstruction of an industrial building into six social housing units and a collective facility, material reuse |
These contracts function as catalysts: they fund emblematic operations (cultural venues, local facilities) that change the image of long-stigmatized neighborhoods, while very concretely improving daily life (green spaces, stormwater management, pedestrian mobility).
Projects like “Les Marolles” combine the creation of rent-controlled housing, public facilities (daycare), retail, with street redevelopment for better water management and the renovation of playgrounds at the heart of the blocks.
Mobility: Good Move, Metro 3 and S-Network
Brussels’ urban development heavily relies on mobility, via the regional Good Move plan. This document organizes both neighborhood traffic (generalization of 30 km/h zones, traffic-calmed neighborhoods), the deployment of public transport (tram network extension, new metro line), and support for new mobility (MaaS, vehicle sharing, company mobility plans).
The €475 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank illustrates the scale of the upcoming effort: renewal of 63 km of tram/metro tracks, purchase of 94 electric buses, 90 trams, 43 metro trains, station modernization, and improved accessibility for people with reduced mobility. The goal is twofold: to make the already dense STIB/MIVB network (4 metro lines, 17 tram lines, 55 bus lines, and 11 night lines) more reliable and to reduce the modal share of cars in a region where congestion remains chronic.
At the metropolitan scale, the Regional Express Network (RER/S-Network) project complements this approach by connecting Brussels to its Flemish and Walloon outskirts. Long delayed, this suburban rail network, initiated by a 2003 convention, aims to offer a credible alternative to the car for commuters, while opening development opportunities around 29 stations studied from a “Transit-Oriented Development” perspective.
Flanders: Density, Logistics and Climate-City
In Flanders, urban policy is based on the concept of “urbanity”, which combines density, diversity, democracy, sustainability, and digitalization. Beyond general guidelines, several structuring projects outline the region’s urban future, from the port metropolis of Antwerp to medium-sized cities engaged in neighborhood renovation.
Antwerp: XXL Port, New Districts and Connected City
It is difficult to talk about urban development in Flanders without mentioning Antwerp, the country’s third city and an economic engine thanks to its port. The merger of the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge into “Port of Antwerp-Bruges” created a European logistics giant: about 290 million tons of goods per year, over 12 million containers (TEU) handled, 164,000 direct and indirect jobs and €21 billion in added value, nearly 4.5% of national GDP.
Extra Container Capacity Antwerp: A New Port Front
To support this growth, the Extra Container Capacity Antwerp (ECA) project aims to increase container capacity from about 15 to 22 million units per year. The centerpiece: the construction of the Saeftinghe dock, a new tidal basin on the edge of the Deurganck dock, on the left bank of the Scheldt. This project also involves developing additional logistics land within the existing port perimeter and creating new road access.
The cost, initially estimated at around €1.8 billion, has gradually been revised upward to €3.1 billion and then to about €5 billion, due to the combined effect of inflation and environmental constraints (PFAS pollution, ecological compensation measures). The Finance Inspectorate has also criticized overly optimistic projections and requested a larger financial contribution from the port authority beyond the €1.9 billion initially planned on the Flemish side. In addition to these budgetary challenges, there are social and environmental tensions, notably in the village of Doel, already largely emptied by previous waves of port expansion, and the need to better clarify measures for noise reduction or support for remaining residents.
Nevertheless, the project remains a key building block of the Flemish government’s Vision 2050, which aims to make the region a major logistics hub and a “gateway to Europe.” Its implementation, scheduled from the end of the decade, will partly condition the future competitiveness of the Port of Antwerp compared to Rotterdam or Hamburg.
Flemish Government’s Vision 2050
Green Modernization: DP World and Oosterweel
Alongside these expansions, the port continues its densification and decarbonization. At the Antwerp Gateway terminal in the Deurganckdok, operator DP World is investing some €200 million over six years to modernize and increase its capacity, without additional land use. New quay cranes, automated stacking crane modules, nine hybrid straddle carriers and 24 automated stacking cranes are expected to absorb nearly an additional million containers by mid-decade, relying on 100% green power supply. Add to this a dedicated app for truck drivers and biometrics for container collection: logistics is digitalizing at a rapid pace.
On the urban front, another mega-project is reshaping the relationship between city and infrastructure: the Oosterweel project, presented as the country’s largest infrastructure project. Its goal is to complete the highway ring underground, while creating a series of belt parks (“Ringparken”) and cycling crossings to reconnect neighborhoods currently severed by the highway. The new Scheldt crossing – the Scheldt Tunnel, parts of which are being assembled in a basin in Zeebrugge – is at the heart of this scheme.
The municipal program Smart Ways to Antwerp completes this picture with an arsenal of digital tools: real-time multimodal planner, support for employers on mobility plans, environmental mobility hubs (P+R, stations, park & ride), development of shared modes (bikes, cars, scooters). The stated goal in the “Routeplan 2030” is to achieve a 50/50 modal split between cars and sustainable modes within the urban territory and the Antwerp transport region.
New Districts on the Scheldt: Scheldekaaien, Nieuw Zuid, Eilandje
Urban development is not limited to the docks. Since the 1990s, Antwerp has gradually been redeveloping its former port basins located south and north of the center.
This is the target share of housing in the functional distribution of the Het Eilandje district in Antwerp.
To the south, the Nieuw Zuid project, on former railway land along the Scheldt, embodies a generation of neighborhoods presented as “green and sustainable”. Signed by a host of international architects (Max Dudler, Stefano Boeri, Peter Zumthor, Shigeru Ban, Kazuyo Sejima), this district combines energy-efficient housing, planted public spaces, soft mobility, and collective facilities. Its full delivery is expected within the next decade.
Between the two, the redevelopment of the Scheldt quays (Scheldekaaien) over nearly 4 kilometers transforms a mineral and traffic-heavy riverfront into a resilient, landscaped promenade, better able to manage floods and offering residents direct access to the river.
Ghent, Mechelen, Genk: Laboratories for Mobility and Nature in the City
While Antwerp occupies center stage, other Flemish cities play a pioneering role in key areas.
Ghent has 260,000 inhabitants and 75,000 students, making it a pioneering city in sustainable mobility and urban food policy.
Also in Ghent, the Tech Lane Ghent – Eiland Zwijnaarde project illustrates the conversion of a polluted industrial site into a 35-hectare high-tech business park, 7 km from the center, between a belt canal and a branch of the Scheldt. About 2,000 jobs are targeted, with a strong biotech presence around the VIB headquarters and bio-incubator. The initiative is led by a public-private project company, “nv Eiland Zwijnaarde”, bringing together the City, province, development agencies, private operators, and waterway managers, with financial and technical support from PMV. Achieving a BREEAM area certification makes it a demonstrator for sustainable development (resource management, site climate, well-being, etc.), supported by a 17,000 m² landscaped park and meeting spaces designed with students.
Mechelen, for its part, is part of a dynamic of green and shared city. Its parking regulation now allows developers to reduce the number of parking spaces in new real estate projects provided they fund shared cars, in line with the Green Deal “Shared Mobility and Living” launched in 2024 by the Flemish Region. This pact, signed by over 90 organizations (mobility operators, real estate developers, cities, administrations), aims to systematically integrate shared mobility into residential projects, through public procurement guidelines, social rates for car sharing, and regulatory tools for municipalities.
Finally, Genk is experimenting with solutions for radical renaturing of its urban centers. At the Grote Markt, the Urban Forest Genk project replaced 1,685 m² of concrete with a mini-urban forest, mixing 78 different species (hackberry, swamp oaks, maples, alders, ashes, bald cypresses, etc.), supplemented with wadis for water infiltration, reused paving stones, and adapted lighting. This type of intervention, supported by European programs, is part of a broader trend of “demineralization” of Flemish squares and streets.
Wallonia: Redevelop Brownfields, Support Medium-Sized Cities
In Wallonia, urban policy is organized around several support mechanisms differentiated by city size. Seven major agglomerations (Charleroi, Liège, La Louvière, Mons, Mouscron, Seraing, Verviers) benefit from a Major Cities Policy (PGV) endowed with a dozen million euros per year, while an Integrated City Policy (PIV) program targets nine cities with a total budget of €280 million, notably via the rehabilitation of brownfields and priority neighborhoods. Complementary instruments – Urban Development (DU) for medium-sized municipalities, “Heart of Villages” program for small ones – complete the network.
Development projects in Wallonia focus on transforming former industrial or railway sites, favoring functional mix and combating urban sprawl.
An example of converting a productive territory near major roadways and logistics hubs.
Illustrates the priority given to mixed use (housing, activities, facilities) on former sites.
Part of the dynamic of transforming brownfields to create new activity hubs.
Furthermore, Wallonia relies on European programs (ERDF, Interreg, etc.) to fund urban renewal operations, and on calls for projects like “Smart Territory”, which supported innovative municipalities such as Flobecq in their first steps towards “smart city” initiatives (adaptive lighting, connected street furniture, environmental sensors, etc.).
The Rise of “Smart Cities”
Beyond strictly urban projects, Belgium is developing a true “smart city” strategy, particularly visible in Brussels but also in Flanders and Wallonia. The common thread: using data and digital technologies as levers to improve quality of life, without losing sight of governance, inclusion, and protection of liberties.
Brussels: A Multi-Layered Smart City
The Brussels-Capital Region considers the smart city as a “multi-stakeholder ecosystem” based on the “Quadruple Helix” principle: public services, citizens, businesses, and academia. A Smart City Office centralizes expertise, advises authorities, animates cooperation networks, and monitors objectives.
The regional Smart City plan is based on six fields of action (economy, governance, environment, mobility, population, living environment) and relies on technological building blocks like the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, robotics, or 3D. Regarding data, the emphasis is on open data and the “only once” principle (not asking the user for the same information multiple times).
Over a hundred Smart City projects are deployed in Belgium, with a notable concentration in Brussels. These initiatives cover varied domains such as intelligent public lighting management, noise pollution measurement, Mobility as a Service (MaaS), crisis management, and energy supervision. The City of Brussels is engaging in this transformation via its strategic BXL 2050 plan and the “10-minute city” concept. It also participates in European research projects, like **Forthcoming**, which experiments with the principles of the “15-minute city” in peri-urban zones.
Flanders: Smart Flanders, Mobility and Data
On the Flemish side, the Smart Flanders program, active since 2017 and extended after evaluation, supports the 13 major cities in implementing shared data policies, digital twins, and digital services. An Open Data Charter, developed with the cities and the imec institute, sets common principles for data reuse. A “citizen science” component also encourages projects where residents themselves participate in collecting or analyzing urban data.
In terms of mobility, the Regional Mobility Plans (R-SUMP), deployed in 15 transport regions, strongly integrate digital tools for traffic monitoring, service optimization, and long-term planning. Cities like Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, or Mechelen are experimenting with MaaS solutions, smart parking, hubs combining parking, buses, bikes, and simulation tools for major projects (viaducts, station conversions, etc.).
Wallonia: First Steps Towards the Smart Territory
In Wallonia, the Digital Wallonia initiative supports municipalities in their digital transition. The “Smart Territory” call for projects, supported by the Walloon recovery plan, financed 80 projects, including that of Flobecq. In this village, the smart city translates into adaptive lighting pedestrian crossings, smart benches allowing phone charging, parking sensors, and surveillance cameras, all connected to a centralized data platform hosted in the cloud.
At the federal and regional levels, the digital transformation is framed by a national data strategy, a “Digital Belgium” plan focused on connectivity, and several plans dedicated to artificial intelligence (Flemish AI plan, Walloon AI strategy, National Convergence Plan for AI). Cybersecurity and data protection issues are entrusted to specific bodies (Data Protection Authority, Center for Cybersecurity, CERT.be).
Greening and Depaving: The Response to Climate
Upcoming urban development projects in Belgium cannot ignore climate. Heatwaves, floods, water stress: cities are on the front line. Several programs aim to increase climate resilience, with quantified goals and concrete instruments.
Brussels: From “Brussel plant” to the Canal Plan
A Sweco study of 22 European cities showed that Brussels currently has 25% green and blue surfaces, but could rise to 32% by leveraging renaturing, depaving, and roadway redevelopment. The Region has set several targets: increase the share of permeable surfaces to 70% (vs. 60% currently), increase tree cover to 40% (vs. 30.7%), and almost double the number of trees along regional roads to reach 66,000 units.
The participatory project “Brussel plant” selected 26 citizen proposals out of 400 to green nearly 4,000 m² in Brussels. Actions include urban gardens, micro-parks, street greening, creation of infiltration swales, and installation of elements favorable to wildlife. These initiatives are part of a broader plan to renature the boulevards, aiming to recover some of their planted character from the 19th century.
The Canal Plan, launched in 2015, also contributes to climate resilience by transforming the Brussels canal axis (14 km) into an ecological corridor and inclusive public space. A landscape quality plan (Beeldkwaliteitsplan) guides new projects to preserve views, green the quays, potentially reopen arms of the Senne, and reconnect neighboring districts.
Antwerp, Ghent, Rotterdam: The Strategy of Garden Streets and Water
In Antwerp, the fight against heat islands and floods involves a Waterplan, a Climate Plan 2030, and a climate governance model with a dedicated committee and “Climate Director”. A mapping tool, the “Green Tool“, helps target sectors where green interventions are a priority.
The total area of infiltration basins installed in a test street, which completely eliminated stormwater runoff into the sewer network.
Ghent, for its part, participates in European programs such as SMARTER or Future Cities, aiming to develop reproducible tools for climate adaptation. Reopening buried watercourses, multiplying green roofs, and converting parking lots into green spaces are part of the toolkit.
These efforts fit into a broader context: cities consume about two-thirds of the world’s energy and generate up to 70% of CO₂ emissions. In Europe, nearly 70% of cities are already experiencing tangible effects of climate change. Belgium is no exception to this pressure, and development projects are increasingly systematically integrating water management, biodiversity, and depaving as basic criteria, on par with mobility or housing.
Financing the Transformation: Public-Private Partnerships and Hybrid Structures
Behind the profusion of projects, one question recurs: how to finance these transformations when regional budgetary margins are limited? Everywhere, public actors seek to combine European subsidies, local budgets, and private capital via public-private partnerships (PPP) or similar structures (project companies, energy performance contracts, etc.).
A National Framework Under Construction
The National Pact for Strategic Investments (NPSI), launched in 2017, precisely aims to structure these investments and coordinate levels of government (federal, regions, communities). With support from the European Commission, Belgium is working on a more standardized PPP policy model, based on “Value for Money” tools to objectively compare traditional public options and partnerships.
The goal is to make EPCs more attractive for renovating the public building stock by reducing transaction costs, shortening procedures, and improving risk allocation. This approach aims to facilitate the massive investments required, for example, to achieve near-energy neutrality of public buildings or develop urban heating networks.
Concrete Examples: Tech Lane, Tour & Taxis, Cityforward
On the ground, many Belgian urban projects already rely on structures close to PPP. We saw this with Tech Lane Ghent – Eiland Zwijnaarde, where a mixed project company manages land acquisition, decontamination, site development, and parcel marketing. PMV, the financial arm of Flanders, injects capital and expertise.
In Brussels, the Tour & Taxis / Lake Side projects and the transformation of the former police school Usquare into a mixed neighborhood illustrate public-private-academic partnerships. These operations, which combine family and student housing, research facilities, services, and green spaces, rely on close alliances between public authorities, universities, and real estate developers.
Even more ambitious, the Cityforward program in the European quarter, led by developer Whitewood, announces the conversion of 21 obsolete office buildings into a largely mixed complex of 300,000 m² (about 70% offices, 25% housing, 5% retail). Over the 2024–2032 period, this portfolio is to be upgraded to meet the European Commission’s 2050 sustainability requirements. With a transaction estimated at €900 million and works for about €800 million, this project symbolizes the scale of private capital mobilizable when institutional demand (here, the European institutions) is present. A dedicated task force, associating the developer and regional administrations, is working on an overall masterplan called “Urban Glow”, intended to move the European quarter away from its single-function tertiary nature.
A Country in Permanent Urban Transition
Taken in isolation, each of these projects could be seen as just another construction site in a city already in constant motion. In perspective, however, they signal a turning point: densifying intelligently rather than sprawling, stitching together neighborhoods separated by infrastructure, reinvesting in industrial and railway brownfields, integrating nature and water into the urban heart, betting on alternative mobility, exploiting data as a resource, all while seeking hybrid financing.
Urbanization in Belgium is complex due to its institutional structure (three regions, multiple levels of power) and the fragmentation of initiatives. No city is yet considered ‘fully smart’ with an integrated strategy, and challenges persist in affordable housing, mobility, social cohesion, and climate adaptation.
But upcoming urban development projects in Belgium also show a capacity to experiment: whether through co-constructed garden streets with residents, the conversion of a container dock into a cultural district, the transformation of a media site into a creative campus, or a suburban rail network finally aligned with compact city logic.
In a country where 98% of the population is projected to live in urban areas by 2060, these construction sites are not just stories for architects or developers. They outline how Belgians will live, work, move, and breathe in the coming decades. And make upcoming urban development projects in Belgium a particularly instructive observatory of European cities in transition.
A French business owner, around 50 years old, with a financial portfolio already well-structured in Europe, wanted to diversify part of his capital into residential real estate in Belgium to seek rental yield and exposure to a stable Eurozone market. Allocated budget: €400,000 to €600,000, without borrowing.
After analyzing several markets (Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent), the chosen strategy was to target a small apartment building or rental property in a growing neighborhood, for example in Etterbeek, Ixelles, or Antwerp-South, combining a target gross rental yield of 6–7% – keeping in mind that “the higher the yield, the higher the risk” – and medium-term appreciation potential, with an overall ticket (acquisition + registration fees + light renovation) of around €500,000.
The mission included: market and neighborhood selection, connection with a local network (real estate agent, notary, tax specialist), choice of structure (direct ownership or via Belgian company) and integration of the asset into the overall wealth strategy.
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