Just a few months away from the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, the compila- tion of an overall assessment of the city’s policies was seen as a vital way of helping regional actors from the public and private sectors to determine a vision of Brussels in the future. urban of years policy 10 Region Brussels-Capital the in ! This publication reviews the various territorially defined policies conducted between 1995 and 2005 within the Reinforced Housing and Renovation Development Area, better known locally as the EDRLR. This area has experienced significant problems in its urban, economic and social development. Defined as a prior- ity intervention zone for urban regeneration in the Region’s Strategic Plan, it has benefited from special attention through the implementation of numerous rehabilitation schemes. The results of these policies are analysed via a map-based, thematic assessment which traces the causes of delays in the urban development of certain districts and presents a series of actions which have been undertaken in the fields of housing construction and renovation, the redevelopment of public spaces, the creation of local facilities, improvements to mobility and so on. The publication thus highlights the results of the public policies and also pinpoints the difficulties experienced by the City-Region in those areas where socio-economic development has lagged behind, despite its systematic economic classification among the top five Cities and Regions in Europe. Finally, it also attempts to identify the issues facing regional actors if they are to reduce Brussels’ territorial duality. BRUSSELS IS CHANGING… http://www.brussels.irisnet.be http://www.srdu.irisnet.be LES CAHIERS DU SRDU N°4– NOVEMBER 2007 OVEMBER 2007 N BRUSSELS IS CHANGING… ! N°4– 10 years of urban policy in the Brussels-Capital Region SRDU LES CAHIERS DU 1995 / 2005 Cette publication est aussi disponible en Français Deze publicatie is tevens beschikbaar in het Nederlands Brussels-Capital Region R EGIONAL S ECRETARIAT FOR U RBAN D EVELOPMENT Co-ordination Regional secretariat for urban development | http://www.gsso.irisnet.be Editorial staff Annabelle Guérin, Luc Maufroy, Frédéric Raynaud Data processing and cartography Michel Breton, Annabelle Guérin Translation Blablabla - bvba Miles Translations Design, cartography and production Kaligram - bvba | http://www.kaligram.be Evaluation committee Béatrice Baugniet, Thomas de Béthune, Noémie Beys, Lieve Coorevits, Antoine Crahay, Patrick Crahay, Caroline Désir, Ariane Herman, Line Jussiant. Photographs taken by Kaligram, except: pp. 6 (big wheel, fronts), 61, 94, 100, 103: © Laurence Lewalle. p.8: Charleroi Canal, 1903, postcard, Dexia Bank / Willebroek Canal, 1903, postcard, Dexia Bank/ ‘Compagnie des Bronzes’, ‘Ateliers des tourneurs’, 1890, postcard, Désiré Van Dantzig and Sons. p.9: Quartier Nord, Urban Development Department, City of Brussels, extract from DEMEY, T., Chronique d’une capitale en chantier, Volume II, Paul Legrain/CFC, 1992. p.11: rue du Houblon and Rempart des Moines, 1996, Delegation for the development of the city, City of Brussels. p.24: rue Gray, Gsso / Project Lavoisier, rue De Koninck, rue Van Kalck and rue Charles Malis, SDRB. pp. 39, 55,104: © Marcel Vanhulst. p.41: Rue des Cygnes and rue du Dam (before - after), AATL-Urban Regeneration Directorate. p.70: Bruxelles Les Bains, Office for Large Events, City of Brussels. p.74: Atelier du Web. p.78: © Marie-Françoise Plissart. pp. 84 (South Station), 93, 102: © Georges Dekinder 2007 - http://www.georgesdekinder.com p.85: Bassin Béco, Gsso. Published by: Luc Maufroy, bd Adolphe Max 13-17, 1000 Brussels Depot number: D/2007/10.645/2 Brussels is changing…! 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS The city, a challenge for society… ......................................................................5 Introduction .......................................................................................6 Urban regeneration policy in Brussels-Capital Region .....................................................8 Origins ..........................................................................................9 Regeneration programmes, schemes and measures ......................................................16 The Reinforced Housing and Renovation Development Area (EDRLR) .........................................16 Institutional regeneration actors .....................................................................22 Regional urban regeneration schemes ................................................................29 Other regional measures or programmes contributing to renovation ..........................................40 Public-sector achievements in the EDRLR from 1995 to 2005 ..............................................46 Analysis of achievements by type ....................................................................47 The production of housing .........................................................................47 The redevelopment of public spaces .................................................................64 Local facilities .................................................................................71 Economic infrastructure ..........................................................................76 The restoration of classified heritage properties .........................................................78 Improvements to mobility .........................................................................80 The funding of operations .........................................................................82 Conclusions and prospects ...........................................................................84 Success: sizeable investments in urban revitalisation .....................................................85 The problem: the socio-economic situation of the neighbourhoods ..........................................87 The future: efficient governance for coherent development .................................................94 Methodological outline ............................................................................106 The administrations and the organisations responsible for urban renovation in the Brussels-Capital Region ........108 List of maps, tables and graphs .....................................................................110 Bibliography .....................................................................................112 Brussels is changing…! 5 THE CITY, A CHALLENGE FOR SOCIETY… In a modern globalized context, large cities A proper governance of the regional territory compete to establish their financial and insti- and the social development of all inhabitants tutional legitimacy. They centralize economic of Brussels can only be achieved by corrective activities, generate major resources which measures aimed at reducing the socio-economic structure the economy and frequently group divide. For this reason, certain measures were more affluent populations in certain privileged taken from the early 1990s. zones. They also develop “city marketing” At a time when the Region defined a determined strategies as a means of promoting attractive international strategy for Brussels, it was investment locations. important to take stock of all projects linked New virtual networks, increased mobility and to living conditions in our more vulnerable telecommunications, ensure that traditional districts. If Brussels’ international development administrative and political borders are increas- is a necessary factor contributing to its socio- ingly less significant. economic evolution, then this must be achieved in collaboration with its inhabitants, regardless In such a dematerialized universe those at the of their geographic location in the city or of centre of economic activity, are growing more their social status. concerned about social and civic relations and the regulatory role of government bodies. Urban policies, such as the Neighbourhood Contracts, have allowed us to change, often in The Objectives of growth and competitiveness a structural manner, the image that these areas frequently disregard populations in socially may have conveyed in the past. The current deprived conditions, who are often concentrated work, provides an overview of these policies, in one area of the city. They exemplify a morally while also providing a first assessment of their unacceptable divide and pose a threat to the results. However, it should be remembered that social cohesion of the big cities. many projects are still ongoing. It is also impera- Some zones experience a slower development, tive that we examine our policies in a “critical” encouraging them to withdraw into themselves manner and attempt to find solutions to the leading to an “affinity-based” environment, socio-economic issues with which our city is which in turn may lead to ‘’communitarianism’. confronted. Despite its modest size when compared to today’s megalopolises which crystallize both deviations and urban pathologies of our times, Brussels is not exempt from new dangers which are vital to anticipate. Charles Picqué Minister-President of Brussels-Capital Region 6 Brussels is changing…! INTRODUctION A District Atlas On the 30th of March 2006, the Government The District Atlas consists of two elements: of the Brussels-Capital Region approved the A Cartographic, Analytical Inventory of 2006-2007 mission letter of the Regional concrete work which has benefited from Secretariat for Urban Development (Srdu), public investment