Brussels' 2024 planting season will continue until April. So far, more than 1,000 new trees have been planted across the region, with particular attention being paid to the concrete-heavy Place Flagey in Ixelles.
The Brussels Mobility administration is in charge of closely monitoring the evolution of 37,000 existing trees and making the region greener with new ones. The peak time for doing so is in the winter. In the past months, staff have planted almost 1,200 trees including on Boulevard Louis Mettewie in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and the park at Jules De Trooz.
"Trees play a crucial role in the city: they beautify the neighbourhood, purify the air, help buffer rainwater, stimulate biodiversity, absorb CO2 and produce oxygen," stated Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt.
"In summer, a single tree provides as much cooling as five air conditioners, which means every tree and every plant counts." Finally, more greenery also contributes to a better quality of life.
Withstanding drought
Place Flagey is currently the focus of this campaign for a greener Brussels: more than 100 adapted shrubs and trees are in the process of being planted here. The aim is to soften – removing concrete and replacing it with soil and plants – about 1,200 square metres (m2) in the square itself, 320 m2 on the neighbouring Place Sainte-Croix and almost 300 m2 in the surrounding streets.
The broken bluestone around the ponds will also be replaced, the lighting adapted and the fountain repaired. In the coming days, more trees will also be planted along Avenue Emile Bossaert in Koeklberg and at the E40 or the ring road in Anderlecht.
Works on Place Flagey. Credit: Brussels Mobility
"We respond to global warming by selecting plant and tree species that can withstand severe drought," Dimitri Strobbe, Director of Brussels Mobility's maintenance department, said. "Thanks to wireless sensors under the trees, we can also react better and water more rationally."
Since 2020, the Region has also started implementing local projects that improve soil water permeability and enable integrated rainwater management, referred to as the "softening" of the ground. In January, Brussels Mobility launched a call for ideas to soften and green the region's streets and squares, resulting in 400 ideas being sent in.
Van den Brandt said that the region will work to implement as many projects as possible from the summer and autumn of 2024.
