2016-06-23 - The engineering firm Aries-Buur, the Alderman for Urban Development and the Mayor of Anderlecht today presented the large-scale urban development plan for the Biestebroeck Dock.
How will this iconic Anderlecht neighbourhood alongside the Canal and Pont de Cureghem really look? How will the different functions (housing, facilities, socio-economic, cultural and port activities) relate to one another? What opportunities are there in terms of residential attractiveness and job creation for this area and for the municipality of Anderlecht? After 18 months of research, the development of the Biestebroeck Dock specific land use plan (PPAS) is nearly complete.
A plan for 47 hectares
This plan sets out to be ambitious from an environmental viewpoint and flexible enough in its implementation to encourage private initiatives. It creates a high-quality environment and neighbourhood while also meeting the needs of future residents of Anderlecht. At municipal level, this PPAS represents a continuation of the Municipal Development Plan approved by the municipal council. One of its strategic goals is to re-establish links between two Anderlecht districts: the Gare du Midi district and the centre of Anderlecht. The municipal authorities’ view is that the Canal must now be a place that brings people together rather than a boundary.
This 47-hectare PPAS also implements the regional Canal Plan in an iconic area of Anderlecht with tremendous potential. The objective of the Canal Plan, the thinking behind which is fully supported by the Anderlecht municipal board, is to make better use of unused real estate along the waterway, creating mixed-function districts there that include not just housing but businesses and sports, cultural and training facilities that serve the community. The regional authorities have therefore decided to designate these areas as a ZEMU (business zone in an urban setting).
3,000 jobs and 11,500 inhabitants
The mission of the contributors to this project was to redefine the future use of the waterway, in a context of demographic pressure and the need to bring socio-economic activities to the site. The Alderman for Urban Development commented: ‘This PPAS reflects our ambition to make Biestebroeck an urban laboratory for what a city district can be like in the 21st century. It is the largest urban development project in Anderlecht in the last 100 years.’
Ultimately, the project is expected to encompass 3,000 jobs and 11,500 residents (including those already present), more than 100,000 m² of productive/retail premises and 25,000 m² of facilities.
The Biestebroeck PPAS has a number of different aims:
- to redefine and revitalise the Canal Area.
- to recreate urban links between the two banks of the Canal and reinforce the ties between districts.
- to respond to population growth and enhance residential attractiveness.
- to encourage mixed use by promoting better integration of port and productive activities in an urban setting.
- to ensure the sufficient development of community facilities, especially schools.
Six main themes have been defined for the future development of the district:
- the Canal as a place with diverse roles and continuity of urban functions.
- the Chaussée de Mons as the backbone of the Canal districts.
- Rue Wayez as a central shopping street whose attractiveness extends beyond the left bank.
- the confirmation of the Pont de Cureghem as a new intermodal point.
- the Boulevard Industrial as an economic centre and gateway to the city.
- the Senne valley as green space and locus of historical continuity.
