Calls are growing for the Royal Gardens in Laeken – which have a surface area of 250 football fields – to be opened to the public. The latest push to create more public green space comes as more entrants register for the Royal Run (a protest event).
On Saturday 23 September, more than 200 Brussels residents will run around the walls that enclose the Royal Domain in Laeken. The event denounces the fact that the green expanse on King Philippe's estate is still not open to the public, despite being maintained with taxpayer money.
Never before have there been so many entries for the Royal Run, an initiative of Brussels MP Hannelore Goeman. Since 2017, Goeman has been campaigning for King Philippe's garden to be opened. She points out that the size of the gardens is 1.5 times that of the neighbouring municipality of Koekelberg. Moreover, it is located near the Canal Zone where many people don't have their own garden.
The Royal Gardens in Laeken, looking at the Royal Palace. Credit: Belga/ Benoit Doppagne
"It is such a pity that in 2023 the Royal Domain is still not accessible to Brussels residents," Goeman said. "The need for more green space in the densely populated Canal Zone remains enormous. By opening up the garden of more than 186 hectares to the people of Brussels, King Philippe could help make a difference for so many people."
She has invited the King the himself to take a walk around his domain on Saturday, to "see how great the support for this demand is."
Continued efforts
The calls for this large green space to be opened to the public are not new. In 2020 and 2021, the demand resulted in there being political will to partially open up the grounds among the majority parties in the Brussels Regional Parliament.
These were framed in the context of the pandemic, which proponents argued made the need for more public space all the more pressing as many residents of Brussels lacked outdoor spaces to relax in while remaining safe and keeping their distance from others. However, little progress has been made.
The Royal Gardens and Greenhouses in Laeken. Credit: Belga/ Benoit Doppagne
In the meantime, the estate does open every year in May when the Royal Greenhouses in Laeken are accessible to the public. The longest route that visitors can take through the gardens of the Royal Estate provides a panoramic view of the greenhouses.
Participation in the running race or cheering on the participants on Saturday is completely free, but it is necessary to register.
