Urban project Delta-Herrmann-Debroux
The main ambition of the Delta-Herrmann-Debroux urban project is to redevelop the E411 into an urban boulevard, putting an end to motorways in the heart of our Region and reconnecting neighbourhoods that, although close to each other, are poorly connected.
The project covers the municipalities of Auderghem and Watermael-Boitsfort. It includes the entire E411 metropolitan roadway and its 3 viaducts, as well as the boulevards and avenues that run alongside and extend the motorway. It encompasses a wide variety of spaces and activities, including a World Heritage forest, a top-class sports centre, a hypermarket, a former railway line converted into a promenade, an office centre, an essential public transport hub for the region, the Free University of Brussels, a Japanese school and a hospital.
These assets do not prevent the district from lacking urban and spatial coherence. There are few links between the various activities, and the road infrastructure forms visual and physical barriers between the different districts. In response to this situation, and thanks to a participatory process, the PAD proposes a rethought vision for this entrance to the city over the next ten years or so, and a number of objectives designed to improve the quality of life of the people of Brussels:
- Transforming the viaduct and the E411 into an urban boulevard;
- Reinforcing the multimodal nature of the entrance to the city (exclusive right-of-way for trams, more space for active modes of transport);
- Strengthening the urban mix of different functions (residential, social, economic);
- Developing public spaces and green areas that link the different districts.
The plan is also the result of a participatory process with representatives of civil society (through associations, neighbourhood committees, citizens, etc.). This participatory consultation helped to identify needs, understand the interests and concerns of all stakeholders and draw on their local knowledge.
A public enquiry organised in October and November 2019 made it possible to adjust the draft, taking into account the opinions of the bodies consulted, the municipalities and the residents.
Final approval of the plan therefore marks the adoption of a shared vision for the urban transformation of this gateway to the city. This is an essential step, but everything remains to be done to define, together and in a concerted manner, a quality project.
Rethinking the role of road infrastructure in the city of tomorrow is an ambition shared by other major European and international cities. The examples of Lyon, where the A6-A7 motorway will be transformed into an urban boulevard, and New York, where the West Side Highway has become one of the city's most attractive public spaces, are sources of inspiration.
More info: External linkperspective.brussels