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Urban furniture and public space design

Urban furniture, public works, etc. Public space design plays a vital role in ensuring safety for all. Emergency services must have unrestricted access at all times.

All the information on this subject can be found in this PDF

Some of the documents are not available in this language. You can find them below in the available languages.

For citizens

Provide unrestricted access at all times

To avoid unauthorised parking, some property owners seek to keep sole access to the spaces beside their building. To enforce this, they may use physical barriers or other means to restrict access. This is allowed, provided these elements do not obstruct access for emergency services.   

Refer to the PDF at the top of this page for full details, including:  

  • Ensuring access: what to look out for? (p. 7)
  • Bollards, barriers, fences, etc.: What keys do firefighters use for these? (p. 8)
  • How do fireman’s locks or fire boxes function? (p. 11) 

For site managers

Roadworks may make access difficult for fire and ambulance services. This is especially important when vehicles need to reach a building near the site.  

Be aware of emergency vehicle limitations

It is essential to be familiar with the appearance of emergency vehicles. Here, the ladder truck serves as the reference vehicle. This vehicle has specific dimensions and turning radius.  

Refer to the PDF at the top of this page for full details, including:  

  • ladder truck technical sheet (p. 18). 

For public institutions

Public space design plays a vital role in ensuring safety for all

Street and square design, layout, and security influence how easily emergency services can access a site. So keep this in mind when developing mobility plans, building infrastructure, and planning roadworks.  

Certain areas may be closed to vehicular traffic, for instance:  

  • to create a pedestrian zone,
  • to make a school environment safer,
  • to prevent ram raids.  

 Important: Zones restricted for vehicular traffic must always remain accessible to emergency vehicles!  

Refer to the PDF at the top of this page for full details, including:  

  • What regulations apply to the design of public spaces? (p. 28-29)
  • When is fire brigade advice required and what is the submission process? (p. 29)
  • What are the best practices to ensure smooth access for emergency vehicles? (p. 29) 

Model of a ladder truck in Autoturn

Need advice from the fire service? Contact us!

Please provide the following info when requesting advice:

  1. explanatory note on the project (including the model used for the turning circle depicted on the plans);
  2. plan(s) of the existing situation;
  3. plan(s) of the planned situation;
  4. cross-sections of existing and planned mobility;
  5. existing and planned mobility plan(s).

Indicate on the plans the dimensions, turning circles, cross-sections and a legend of the establishments.

Bollards, barriers

If you use movable bollards, barriers or other barriers:  

  • Make sure firefighters can access the site at all times.
  • Use a fire key or access code for this purpose.  

 Refer to the PDF at the top of this page for full details, including:  

  • What risks does urban furniture pose to safety and security? (p. 37)
  • What keys do firefighters use for movable or retractable facilities? (p. 40) 

Report any change to access codes

Report any change to the access code for operating bollards or releasing locked barriers with a padlock (as in the Sonian Forest) immediately to the fire brigade via: Opens in new windowplans-plannen@firebru.brussels 

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