Open space vision in and around Brussels

Brussels is fully committed to sustainable development. The city is preparing for the future by intelligently realising its social, economic, ecological and climatological ambitions in a high-performance open space network. The vision was developed through a three-level in-depth analysis. At a macro level, a synthesis of existing studies was carried out and an atlas of maps and SWOT analysis were drawn up, in which ESD and climate adaptation are leading. At the meso level, we zoomed in on the North side of Brussels, for a deeper interpretation that lays the foundation for the general vision, after which concrete zones were localised at the micro level, where the broader vision was made concrete based on specific cases.

Antea Group is committed to preparing our society for a future where more needs to be done with less. This applies all the more to the use of space, and especially in the context of Flanders and Brussels. The need for open space in the largest metropolis in our country becomes self-evident. The demand for ecosystem services and the social need for climate-adaptive functions is answered by the green-blue networks in the city. Nonetheless, a coherent vision is necessary to ensure that the local and supra-local functions of the open space are protected, strengthened and developed. Further degradation of the urban landscape must be prevented by achieving multifunctionality in the use of space.

The study is commissioned by a collaboration of five interregional government organisations:

• Perspective.Brussels
• Leefmilieu Brussels 
• Departement omgeving
• OVAM
• ANB

BUUR is commissioner of the assignment and coordinates the development of the vision and develops graphic output, while Antea Group is responsible for the scientific basis, maps and thematic analyses. Hesselteer provides additional support in terms of ecology.