Few places in Brussels feel less congenial for walking than the Toison d'Or stretch that links Louise and Porte de Namur. The petite ceinture (inner ring) highway that whirls cars around the capital is an obstacle that requires a lengthy detour to negotiate, effectively cutting the broad boulevard in two.
At the same time, the street (though it seems funny to consider it as such) is home to the most flashy of international brands, the kind with suited doormen and conditioned with the purest air of Alpine pastures (one assumes). Towards the southern end is the 27-floor "The Hotel" – residence of choice for dignitaries and their retinues looking for luxury after business in the EU institutions (the ugly monolith is much nicer inside).
On the other side of the lanes of speeding traffic, car parks, and concrete blocks that have been dropped at intervals to produce a makeshift bike lane, one finds an Apple store, generic high street brands, and a shopping mall whose units become more empty the further you penetrate from the exterior facade.
In short, this is not the place for urban idling in the style of a Parisien flâneur; for that you're better off nipping down to the Sablon district for a spot of authentic Brussels window-shopping. So explain the ambition to make this avenue the Belgian answer to Champs-Élysées; Is it another overstatement by city planners with their heads in the clouds? Might this be the next construction site left to languish for decades?
Despite the gilded sheen that the name suggests, Toison d'Or is long past its golden age. Lofty ambitions aside, there is little question that the deep scar between the city centre and the trendy Ixelles neighbourhood needs some attention. Architectural illustrations portray an appealing vision of pedestrian expanse, interspersed with terraces and shaded by mature plane trees. But the pleasing simplicity of the design masks the scale of the challenge.
Sticking points include sinking the inner ring in tunnels that can be covered, a lack of subsoil for deep-rooted trees, and (you guessed) the hefty costs that such a project would entail. The latest proposals to renew the area look back to the layout of the 1820s, which would reopen the wide span by removing the dominance accorded to cars – now 80% of the surface level between both facades.
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1. Free legal advice phone line available from 13 April
Citizens with legal queries about issues such as neighbourhood disputes or employment contracts will be able to call a free phone line for guidance from 13 April, between 09:00 and 16:00. Read more.
2. Can Brussels turn the Toison d’Or into a Champs-Élysées?
The short shopping stretch from the Porte de Namur to Place Louise, known as the Toison d’Or, is essentially two distinct sections bisected by a busy highway and tunnels. The city has new plans to make the zone more user-friendly. Read more.
3. Brussels Porn Film Festival returns to Belgian capital next month
Inspired by thriving festivals in other European capitals and the success of its two previous editions, the Brussels Porn Film Festival (BxlPFF) is returning to independent cinemas in the Belgian capital next month to offer "a window into contemporary alternative pornography." Read more.
4. Bouchez-Hedebouw debate: PTB and MR disagree on everything, except tax reform
After last week's clash between Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) and Paul Magnette (PS), Wednesday's televised debate pitted the leaders of the Francophone liberal MR Georges-Louis Bouchez and the radical left Belgian Workers' Party (PTB-PVDA) Raoul Hedebouw against each other. Read more.
5. Cycling in the EU: Road safety key for boosting cycling across Europe
The EU institutions adopted on Wednesday the European Declaration on Cycling to reduce pollution, promote good health and transform urban transport. Read more.
6. Go for Palmerston, not Ambiorix, says Pope Francis
History does not repeat itself. But there is nothing else we can learn from. The names given to two parks in Brussels’ European Quarter remind us of two ways in which a war can end, 2000 and 200 years ago but also today. One of them enjoys the Pope’s preference. Mine too. Read more.
7. Proportional representation in Belgium: How does it work?
Expats are eligible to vote in two of the five elections taking place in Belgium this year. But understanding how the electoral system works – especially how it differs from your home country – will have practical and democratic repercussions. Read more.
