Queen Keynes (N-VA) Responds to Turnhoutsebaan’s Dream Photo: “All Suggestions Are Welcome, But We Must Include All Neighborhood Interests In This Project” | Antwerp

The working group proposed “Take Them, Turnhutspan” on Thursday evening A somewhat utopian dream image of What Turnhoutsebaan in Borgerhout could look like after a complete redevelopment. With a combined tram and motorized traffic route, plenty of space for pedestrians and cyclists, recreation space, terraces, green spaces and even water, the dream picture represents everything a track doesn’t have today.

“My first impression is that the word says what it is: an image of utopian dreams,” responds Alderman Quinn Keenes (N-VA) in Antwerp. “Of course we note this and will include this dream image in talks to start the Turnhoutsebaan project with the Flemish Road and Traffic Agency (AWV), which operates Turnhoutsebaan. As far as I know, there is no exact timing for that yet.”

_{(Read more below the photo)}

The tram that will remain above ground, the lack of parking spaces, the potential traffic pressure in the immediate vicinity, these are the elements that the city council likes. “We notice that there are many questions after presenting this dream image about the flow of traffic and parking,” Kennes continues. “These are valid questions. But the questions about more green space and quality of life on the road are equally valid. For the final design, we will have to include all the elements and all the interests of all residents and users of Turnhoutsebaan.”

In the evening of information in di Roma on Thursday evening, one of the attendees made Concerned about the potential improvement of the neighborhood. Doesn’t this perfect job development mean that the current population will eventually have to get out of bed?

_{(Read more below the photo)}

“This concern is justified,” Ships asserts. “Unlike Dutch cities, for example, we as a city have few tools for housing protection, because large parts of Dutch cities are in the hands of the city itself or in the hands of housing associations. With us, housing is mainly in private hands. If you want to protect that With affordable housing or social housing, you have to buy the whole of Tornhotsiban, which, of course, is not realistic.”

“However, we can apply some corrections to certain neighborhoods where developments are taking place and where we still have options, such as affordable housing. But this is still relatively limited. Improvement cannot necessarily be stopped, you can already see that in Borgerhout or, for example, Oud-Berchem.”

Regarding Turnhoutsebaan in the short term, AWV plans to create a bike street in both directions this spring. “Of course, nothing like this happens overnight,” Kennes emphasizes. “We noticed it from our own experience when urban bike streets ran inside the city belt in the 19th century. Six months ago we started putting up signs and only now red asphalt is being laid. You can’t do something like that in a few months. If the AWV succeeds in That’s for Turnhoutsebaan, I’d be happy to see what other projects they can achieve in Antwerp so quickly.”

The local councilman stresses that all suggestions for Turnhoutsebaan, or any other city project, are always welcome in the councillors’ college.