The City of Brussels municipality began the reconstruction of Place de la Liberté in the heart of the capital on Monday, City Councillor for Urban Planning Anaïs Maes (Vooruit) announced on social media.
The works, which will be carried out in three phases, will take 100 working days and should make it possible to maintain the trees in the square in the future, without causing damage.
Place de la Liberté is a rectangular square in the heart of Brussels – near the Chamber of Representatives, the Senate and the Flemish Parliament. It was created in 1874 after the demolition of the street layout in the former working-class district Notre-Dame-aux-Neiges.
The square has protected heritage status, as well as the facades around it. In the late 1970s, the City of Brussels decided to add trees to the square. Now, however, the square is in poor condition: because of poor subsoil, the tree roots cannot continue to grow downwards and instead grow upwards, leaving the street lining in poor condition.
Preserving the trees
In 2023, the city authorities already suggested a renovation of the square, while respecting its trees and greenery, which are necessary to combat heat islands in the city.
The Royal Commission on Monuments and Sites initially thought that the trees should be replaced by lower vegetation so that visitors to the square could better admire the historic facades, and granted a negative opinion to the city. After an appeal, the Brussels-Capital Region finally issued a planning permit after all.
The new design for the square's redevelopment also takes into account its heritage elements. The green area around the statue will be replanted and new decorative fencing will be installed, based on the original design. To give the trees better growth opportunities, the area around them will be raised and landscaped in dolomite.
"The City of Brussels is relieved that the trees can be preserved, they will provide cooling on hot days," Maes told Belga News Agency. The redevelopment is an example of how "urban heritage and nature can go hand in hand," she said. "We are therefore looking forward to that first terrace overlooking Place de la Liberté, restored to its glory."
