Brussels’ Secretary of State for Urban Planning, Ans Persons, presented the text for the new public space in the Brussels-Capital Region on Marie-Jansonplein in Sint-Gillis. In many ways, Marie-Janson Square is an example of how public space can be transformed into an inclusive place where everyone is welcomed and the needs of users are met. It shows how materials are intelligently reused, trees play an important role, traffic is limited and off-road parking is provided. In addition, the design was preceded by a participatory process with the local population, during which creative solutions were found for the multifunctional use of the square.
“The renovated Marie Jeanson Square is an important project for Saint-Gilles and a model for future projects in our municipality. Today it has become an attractive meeting place thanks to the softening of the soil with more trees and nature, thanks to the reduced pressure of the car and the increased comfort of cycling and walking with a large pedestrian area and thanks to the mix of different urban functions. All this has been achieved thanks to the contribution and participation of residents and traders throughout the entire construction process.” Willem Stevens, Urban Renewal Councillor in Sint-Gillis, from.
“With this script, we want to offer designers inspiration and guidance in designing the future public spaces of Brussels. This way we can ensure that permit applications run more smoothly and share as much knowledge and good practices as possible. Brussels residents need more squares to meet each other, safer school environments, wider sidewalks, trees everywhere, better rainwater management, including street furniture and smart solutions for traffic and parking. Thanks to the script, all projects, large and small, are making progress. “The script sets a high bar, and this is essential, because the public space we design today must be able to meet the challenges of the future.” Anas Persons, Secretary of State for Urban Planning in Brussels.
Shared vision
The reality today is that designers and municipalities of new projects in public spaces have to reconcile various existing recommendations and documents that have been developed independently of each other by different administrations. The new Public Space Guide of the Brussels Region brings clarity to this tangle.
The purpose of the comprehensive guidance is to go beyond the current limitations of this set of standards, guides and tools. To achieve this, the guide attempts to summarize and simplify them into a clear and coherent vision of public space in the Brussels-Capital Region. The main challenge of the guide was to bring all stakeholders together around a vision of a desirable future for public space and to formulate this into a set of clear ambitions, recommendations and planning strategies.
The new text was designed by the regional administration Urban.brussels in collaboration with the temporary association ORG Urbanism & Architecture – Bureau Bas Smets (ORG-BBS) and also involved the municipalities of Brussels and many other partners such as Brussels Master Builder (BMA), Brussels Movement, Brussels Environment, Brussels Fire Brigade, STIB, Brulocalis, Net Brussels, the Royal Commission for Monuments and Landscapes, Equal.brussels, parking.brussels, angle.brussels, L’architecture qui dégenre vzw, the Gracq Cycling Association and vzw Kawab.
Six chapters
The result is a 657-page public space scenario consisting of an introduction and six chapters: “Aspirations,” “Candidates,” “Regional Vision,” “Design Strategies,” “Toolbox,” and “Current Models.” Each chapter has a specific objective, adapted to contemporary expectations of the city at the human level. Each chapter explains and illustrates in detail how this can be achieved.
- the chapter ambitious Existing standards, regulations and strategic frameworks translate into a series of ambitions, within five themes: environment, materiality, mobility, identity and use.
- the chapter Filters It provides an overview of the diversity and richness of urban settings in Brussels. The different filters reflect the specific challenges faced by certain public spaces.
- the chapter Regional vision It defines and clarifies the regional vision for public spaces. This vision proposes an initial approach to the redesign project. It is divided into six separate and exclusive programmes: structuring the heritage axis, green communication, school environment, central, water city and local.
- the chapter Design Strategies Dedicated to concrete design proposals and script recommendations. Design strategies are divided into different types based on street width and intersection types.
- the chapter “toolbox” It is linked to the Design Strategies chapter and provides comprehensive and objective tools organized according to the five themes of the Aspirations chapter. The cross-sectional tool describes an ideal or ideal project process. The thematic tools include a roadmap on the one hand and concrete drawings based on general situations and thus illustrate how to implement certain solutions.
- the chapter Existing species It divides public spaces according to different criteria, allowing them to be grouped into classifications. Thanks to these classifications, it is possible to highlight the specific features of the current design of public space.
The Public Space Text does not impose any obligations, but can be used as a guideline for the most appropriate design strategy for redesigning public space. Design strategies can thus be adapted and modified based on the local situation and needs. Ultimately, each project should be designed according to the specific characteristics and needs of the place and its users.
“Urban areas proactively contribute to improving the quality of life in Brussels. That is why we strive to achieve interdisciplinary synergies with key players in urban planning, urban renewal and the environment. In this context, the Public Space Guide was designed and developed in collaboration with the temporary association ORG Urbanism & Architecture, Bureau Bas Smets and all the players involved. This evolutionary document contains various guidelines, standards, plans and tools that define the regional objectives for the development of public space that are proudly alive. With the ambition that this practical tool can provide concrete and clear guidelines for the design of public spaces in the Brussels Region,” says Sarah Lagrelière, Deputy Managing Director of Urban.brussels.
“One of the project’s achievements that we are particularly proud of is the development of an easy-to-use educational text that offers concrete solutions and tools for achieving high-quality public spaces for the entire Brussels region. Although planning public spaces is a complex matter, in the process the text responds to contemporary challenges related to the design of public spaces and shows what is needed to create spaces that make our city more pleasant to live in,” say Alexandre Dehouge and Yannick Vanhaelen. From ORG-BBS.
He. She The Script Public Space in the Brussels-Capital Region can be consulted at: Urban.brussels website and on BruGIS Platform.
“Coffee buff. Twitter fanatic. Tv practitioner. Social media advocate. Pop culture ninja.”
More Stories
Which can cause an increase in nitrogen.
The Central State Real Estate Agency has no additional space to accommodate Ukrainians.
The oystercatcher, the “unlucky national bird,” is increasingly breeding on rooftops.