Brussels residents will this weekend be invited to plant trees with the hope of eventually creating Belgium's largest urban forest in Anderlecht.
A Christmas tree plantation used to occupy the large open space on the Bon Air site, near the western border between Brussels and Flanders. The site will be transformed as a participatory ecological space and Belgium's largest urban forest. This weekend will serve as an "open house" where locals are invited to plant trees themselves.
"An innovative and 100% natural method known as the 'Miyawaki' technique (named after a Japanese botanist) allows trees to grow much faster, will be used to plant this new forest," explained a statement from the Redouté-Peiffer Institute, which will lead the project.
This see some 8,400 trees planted – the so-called "Unity forest" – on a plot of almost three hectares. They are expected to grow ten times more quickly than in a conventional plantation and will reportedly recreate the ecological conditions of a 100-year-old forest in just ten years.
An urban lung
It is hoped the forest will help restore the environmental balance in the city and improve the quality of air in the coming decade, an ambition central to the regional government's policies, including in the transport sector.
Currently, around one-fifth of the region's territory consists of public green spaces, an equivalent of 26 square metres per inhabitant.
The need for more green open spaces was highlighted by the pandemic. Especially in municipalities like Anderlecht, where few people have a private garden, the forest will be a big win for locals.
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As part of the region's Good Living plan, which defines the government's approach to regional planning regulations, more green spaces in the city will be enshrined in legislation.
The region is looking to establish more green corridors for this purpose, such as those recently opened in Laeken and the “Kleine Zenne Park”, a green corridor between the Ninoofsepoort and Anderlecht's Abbatoir district. This is scheduled to open in 2023.
On Friday, students of Brussels' primary and secondary schools will carry out the first planting of trees, followed by the general public on Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 at the site in Anderlecht (101 rue du Pommier).
