The city of Leuven has appointed OKRA and Antea Group to elaborate an integral vision for the city’s public spaces. The vision ‘Open City Leuven’ aims at embedding a landscape design methodology and toolbox based on the core qualities of the city into spatial development policies.
Leuven, located twenty-five kilometres from Brussels, has steadily grown, transformed and adapted in recent years. This historical city is open and accessible, connected to the landscape and crossed by the river Dijle. It is an attractive environment with enormous ambitions for growth. The Sluispark (designed by OKRA) and the renewed Vaartkom are a few examples of how these ambitions are put into practice. Yet this attention to heritage, green and blue sustainability, social dynamics and shared spaces for users does not quite find its way into the wider public domain.
Open City Leuven
Our vision aims to transform these four aspects (green and blue structure, heritage, social and mobility) into cornerstones for the future of Leuven. ‘Open City Leuven’ focuses on supporting active and shared modes of transport in public spaces, shaping a resilient and climate-adaptive green and blue structure, increasing the accessibility and vibrancy of social spaces, and highlighting the unique heritage of the city. This will all be brought together in a master plan that will guide the city’s urban developments. We are excited to assist Leuven through these stages and vision with its transformation towards a greener, healthier, resilient, active and attractive city ready for its future!
OKRA has been working for many years on urban development and landscape assignments in various locations in Belgium, including Antwerp, Brussels, Kortrijk, and Mechelen.