An open letter has been sent to Saint-Gilles mayor Jean Spinette (PS) to ask for the creation of a pedestrianised "garden street" in front of the Peter Pan school, after a survey showed broad support for it among locals.
The street in front of the Peter Pan school, Rue de la Rhétorique – close to the busy Barrière de Saint-Gilles – is currently a school street, meaning that motorised vehicles are not allowed to drive just before school starts or after it ends.
Now, a survey, conducted by non-profit Les Chercheurs d'Air in collaboration with the ULB and with the support of Breathe Cities and published on Monday, found that seven in ten (69.5%) parents of children at the school support permanently pedestrianising it.
"Parents highlight concrete and immediate benefits, both for themselves and for their children, such as improved road safety, better air quality, more opportunities for socialising," the survey concludes.
Permanent pedestrianisation
These results are consistent with the organisation's previous surveys, which they said already showed "overwhelming support" among Brussels residents for pedestrian zones around schools.
More than nine in ten (91.6%) of surveyed parents indicated that they view the school street positively, while 69.5% said they would like it to become permanently pedestrianised.
When asked about possible improvements to the existing school street, 85% of parents are calling for more greenery. Just over half (55%) also requested street furniture, such as benches.
Les Chercheurs d'Air stressed that "far too many" schools in Brussels are "literally choked by road traffic", with consequences for children’s health that can sometimes be very serious.
Of the 622 primary schools in Brussels, 121 have nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations between two and three times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) threshold. None are below this recommended level.
School street in City of Brussels. Credit: City of Brussels
The organisation argues that by restricting motorised traffic around schools, school streets help children breathe more easily.
Currently, only 10.8% of schools in Brussels have a school street, yet they could "easily and quickly" be created in front of 70% of schools in the Capital Region, according to Les Chercheurs d'Air.
"This would meet a public demand, as a large majority of Brussels residents support the creation of pedestrian zones in front of the capital’s schools," they argued.
They also stressed that existing school streets are "a bit hit" among locals. They also surveyed parents, staff members and residents of two schools with a school street: School 8 in Ixelles and the Ecole du Centre in Uccle.
The responses showed that 89.8% of the 177 respondents were in favour of retaining the school street, with a large majority (79%) viewing the street positively in terms of road safety, well-being, air quality and social relations.
"Based on these conclusions, we call on policymakers to strengthen their commitment to school streets, a simple and effective lever for improving the health and safety of children and families," the organisation said.
The open letter, published in La Dernière Heure and The Brussels Times, can be read below.
Open letter
Mr Jean Spinette, Mayor of Saint-Gilles,
We are writing to you to request that Rue de la Rhétorique be pedestrianised and greened by the end of 2027.
More than 900 children attend schools on this street (Les Bengalis nursery, Peter Pan School and Athénée Royal Victor Horta). Unfortunately, these young people, whose metabolism is still developing, are breathing in nitrogen dioxide concentrations that are twice the World Health Organisation's recommended limit. Furthermore, the regular passage of motor vehicles exposes them to an increased risk of road accidents.
For the following reasons, pedestrianising Rue de la Rhétorique would be a simple and logical step:
- Thanks to its one-way system and its status as a school street, traffic levels are low and closing it would not result in a significant diversion of traffic. Pedestrianisation would therefore fit easily into the neighbourhood’s traffic plan.
- The municipality of Saint-Gilles is the least motorised in the region: over 70% of households do not own a car. Pedestrianisation would thus help to rebalance public space more fairly in line with actual usage and the most common modes of transport.
- Nearly 90% of pupils at Peter Pan and 99% of those at the Athénée Royal Victor Horta use public transport, cycle or walk to get to school. These figures are similar for teachers and staff, with a rate of over 80% in each school. Pedestrianising Rue de la Rhétorique would therefore enable this majority to travel more safely and enjoyably. It would also provide an opportunity to install bike racks so that parents accompanying their children by bike can easily secure their bikes.
According to our recent survey, 91.6% of surveyed parents at Peter Pan School view the school street, inaugurated during your first term of office, positively. Seven out of ten support the permanent pedestrianisation of Rue de la Rhétorique, so that they can enjoy a safe, child-friendly space all year round.
Creating a pedestrianised street would not only better protect children from air pollution and road accidents, it would also create a space for people living in the neighbourhood to meet, play and relax.
We understand that for some members of staff at Victor Horta, access by car is important. However, this should not stand in the way of the entire ‘garden street’ project.
Indeed, as shown in the model below, the pedestrianisation of Rue de la Rhétorique could begin just past the entrance to the school car park and extend to the top of the street.
Mr Mayor, in order to better protect children’s health, meet parents’ expectations and make the sharing of public space more equitable, can you commit to pedestrianising Rue de la Rhétorique by the end of 2027?
This would represent a concrete step towards a more liveable Saint-Gilles. You would then be the first Mayor in Brussels to create an ambitious ‘garden street’ in a densely populated and heavily polluted neighbourhood.
Signatories:
Les chercheurs d’air
Kool Chou (café on the street)
AMO Itinéraire (youth organisation)
Heroes For Zero
La Ville aux Enfants
