Van Praet Metropolitan Node
Van Praet Master Plan: Three Worlds over 27 Hectares
PROJECT STORY
The challenge
The area around the Van Praet bridge is one of the gateways to Brussels, where car and freight traffic is on the move every day and where the landscape is divided.
The solution
We have been commissioned by the City of Brussels to produce an environmental impact report plus a master plan that identifies and optimizes all the challenges of this strategic location and delivers different scenarios.
The impact
With this master plan, we are working to create the city of tomorrow that successfully connects different elements such as parks, neighborhoods and the canal and puts an end to the current traffic problems.
5 ha
green open space
The Challenge
The area around the Van Praet bridge is one of the gateways to Brussels, where car and freight traffic is on the move every day. This metropolitan node, located between the Laeken royal park, the residential neighborhood of Neder-Over-Heembeek and the canal, is in need of urban renewal with a focus on sustainability and quality of life.
Urban Ambitions
The ambitions for this site covering almost 27 ha are considerable. The City of Brussels plans to design the infrastructural node of Van Praetlaan with Vuurkruisenlaan as a boulevard and create a minimum of 5 ha of green open space, as well as providing a range of housing along with various facilities such as a secondary school and a crèche.
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Arcadis and Plus Office Architects are developing a master plan and an environmental impact report (EIR) that will identify all the challenges and assets of this strategic location, such as connecting the surrounding residential neighborhoods and managing water issues, air quality and the heat-island effect. The next step is to optimize the situation and deliver different scenarios. The interests and space claims in this site are considerable, so stakeholder management is also a fundamental part of this project, as are mobility, biodiversity and water management.
However, this site is not simply a 'blank canvas.' Numerous projects and studies demonstrate the importance and the potential of this node, such as the image quality plan, the new Neder-Over-Heembeek tram link, the 'Kanaal Noord-A12' mobility study and the study for the redevelopment of the Brussels Royal Yacht Club (BRYC).
City of the Future
With this master plan, Brussels hopes to work alongside Arcadis and Plus Office to develop a city of tomorrow that successfully connects different elements such as parks, neighborhoods and the canal and puts an end to the current traffic problems.
