Once muddy and difficult to access, several cycling and footpaths in Haren have been renovated with new greenery, benches and picnic tables as part of the City of Brussels' efforts to improve walking and cycling connections in the neighbourhood.
Haren, in the north of the city, has a dense network of paths, tracks and open spaces, which the City says offers significant potential for active mobility. Some of the routes, however, had become them less suitable for pedestrians.
“This approach aims to turn Haren’s paths into genuine active mobility links, but also into public spaces in their own right: places where people can move around, meet and enjoy the landscape,” said Anaïs Maes (Vooruit), the City of Brussels' councillor for Urban Planning, Public Space and Mobility.
The recent works aim to make the paths more accessible and pleasant while strengthening connections between different parts of the neighbourhood. Nine new trees have been planted alongside the routes, bringing the total number of trees to 15, while 10 shrubs have also been added.
Before and after. Credit: Anaïs Maes
The project goes beyond mobility infrastructure: new benches and picnic tables have been installed along the paths, creating places for residents to stop and spend time outdoors.
The paths form an important part of Haren’s urban structure, linking different areas and providing alternatives to roads for pedestrians and cyclists. The City has been working for several years to improve this network through upgrades to the paths, signage, street furniture and maintenance.
According to Maes, the work also reflects Haren’s particular character, which is marked by open spaces, allotments, rural landscapes and heritage. The City plans to continue developing a network of public and green spaces in the neighbourhood, with a focus on active mobility, biodiversity and social cohesion.
Residents can also use the map of Haren’s paths to discover several walking routes through the neighbourhood.
