Brussels 2040

The vision is based on a critical reading of the economic and territorial field that Brussels is a part of: the Eurodelta, a dense network of small cities. In this network, Brussels has two advantages: its connectivity to other cities both inside and outside the network, and the critical mass of the city itself (a true world or global city).

A critical step in seizing the potential of Brussels is to embrace this double reality that characterizes the city.
The first advantage –  its connectivity to other cities  – is today already well established. This is not the most critical issue for Brussels. The second advantage – the critical mass of its urban fabric and the potential population it can house – is today largely underdeveloped. That’s why the study focuses largely on this aspect: the reactivation of Brussels as an efficient, compact and multiple city.

The vision is prospective: a statement about how we see the future, about how to develop the specific potential of Brussels as a global metropolis in a large territory. It is open enough to deal with the unexpected, but also clear enough to define ambitions and highlight priorities for the development of Brussels by the year 2040.


  • Location

    Brussels, Belgium

  • Client

    Brussels Region - AATL

  • Competition

    2010-2011

  • In collaboration with

    l'AUC, BBS, MINT, URBAN SOLUTIONS, CHOROS

  • 51N4E project team

    Johan Anrys, Freek Persyn, Peter Swinnen, Yannick Vanhaelen, Vesna Jovanovic, Georgios Eftaxiopoulos, Matthieu Moreau, Olivier Roegiest

  • Image credits

    51N4E / l’AUC / BBS