Place de la Reine

The Place de la Reine redevelopment project covers the entire square, Rue Royale between Rue Cornet de Grez and Rue de la Poste, and part of Rue Dupont, Rue de la Poste and Rue de Beughem. The aim is to breathe new life into this underused square and improve safety and comfort for active road users and public transport users. This project has been carried out with the participation of local residents.

The square in front of the listed Royal Church of Sainte-Marie will become a meeting place, a ‘city lounge’. To make it more inclusive, special attention will be paid to women and children, and play features such as hopscotch will be incorporated into the project. In the square, the pavements will be widened and separated from the road by low planting.

The existing public transport stops on and around the square will be grouped together in rue Royale, between rue Cornet de Grez and rue de la Poste. At the stop, car traffic will have to cross the tram tracks, which is the only way to design the stop in line with the latest accessibility standards. As a result, there will also be fewer lanes, making the crossing easier and safer.

Shifting traffic will also free up space for a cycle path. This will run behind the bus stop and will be distinguished from the pavement by a difference in level. Once past the bus stop, the cycle path will continue along the road. There will also be additional cycle boxes and parking spaces for conventional and cargo bikes.

The entire square will be designed as a residential area, with the exception of the section of Rue des Palais next to the church. The junctions will be redesigned to limit through-traffic. The square's links with rue Dupont, rue de la Poste and rue Beughem will continue to be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists, and through-traffic will be limited. Certain traffic flows will also be modified to make existing conflict zones safer. From Place de la Reine, it will only be possible to drive in the direction of Botanique, and from Rue de la Poste only in the direction of Place Liedts.

The reorganisation of traffic flows will reduce the number of traffic lights. They will only be maintained at the intersection of rue des Palais with Place de la Reine and rue Dupont.

Parking spaces on the square will be eliminated, and this will be compensated for by sharing parking spaces with (public) institutions in the area.

The greening schemes will provide more and better connections with the existing green spaces in the neighbourhood, namely the Reine Verte park and the Maison des Arts garden. A total of 1,750 m² of greenery will be planted, including 500 m² in the square.

Thepublic lighting will be replaced with energy-efficient LED lamps emitting a warm white light. The listed Royal Church of Sainte-Marie will remain in the spotlight thanks to specially designed mood lighting.