2016-01-21 - The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region has just approved the master plan for the Gare du Midi district at its second reading. The document sets out the development of this district during the periods up to 2020 and 2030.
Developed in consultation with the regional and municipal authorities, the SNCB-NMBS and the public transport operators, it is based on a shared ambition to strengthen the district’s functional mix and make it a livelier, more pleasant place for local residents, the people of Brussels in general and users of the railway station. It attaches great importance to the redevelopment of public spaces and to improving the intermodal hub.
By 2020 and 2030 the implementation of the master plan should lead to the construction of housing and facilities and the redeployment of public spaces, while at the same time making this transport hub part of a rational tertiary strategy.
The project will be managed by a team from the Urban Development Agency (acting as the team’s representative), the Research and Planning Department at Brussels Urban Development and the Strategy Department at Brussels Mobility, emphasising the importance of maintaining close links between the urban development project, the transport project and the strategic and operational aspects of urban planning. The project’s main contractor will be supervised by the architecture and urban planning firm, l’AUC, which was selected in September 2013 following an international consultation.
The project has been negotiated with the operators in charge of redeveloping the district, in particular through a process of providing support and guidance for real estate and transport projects in the area.
These dynamics will continue in the coming months with the inclusion of the master plan in a Private Designated Land Use Plan and the follow-up of the permit applications. These must be consistent with the outlines of the master plan.