A handful companies based in the area around the North train station have instilled brightly coloured street furniture with the aim of making the quarter more inviting to passers-by. Dozens of bright-blue benches and signposts have been put up at the Bolivar square as part of a larger project aimed at revitalising the neighbourhood around the train station. The signposts point passers-by to interesting sights and attractions in the quarter like the nearby Botanique park, a picturesque but little-known green oasis in the heart of the city.
The companies behind the Up4North initiative say that the area around the North train station too often makes headlines for the wrong reasons, for instance, in relation to reports of crime. “We want to move away from the idea that the North quarter is a gritty and purely commercial part of the city,” said Sven Lenaerts told the Bruzz news platform.
Up4North’s other projects include an online platform aimed at letting out vacant building spaces in the area to Brussels organisations and initiatives. They are also currently working to create a garden on the rooftop of one the area’s best-known office buildings, the WTC tower.
Linda A. Thompson
Brussels Times
