Urban Structure: Brussels (II)

The proposed project for the Canal Zone in Brussels, by Gerard Corominas, who is a student of the LaSalle Urban Studio, attempts to answer three themes at different scales.

1. The current inaccessibility for traffic in our study area, inside the ring.
I propose to locate the circulation of the ring in our area on an underground level, this way a new avenue can enter the center of the city.

2. The lack of continuity between the neighborhoods on both sides of the ring.
The new ring tunnel allows a better relationship between the different neighborhoods. This way, we create the advantage to turn present parking space into green areas. The proposal to relocate the school makes it possible to redistribute the islands and to have higher continuity between the different districts.

3. The lack of relationship between the city and the canal
A pedestrian system along the channel is proposed. The borders of the canal will now meander and this way multiplies the surface on this waterfront. As this part of the city has a higher population of young people, the project wants to inject new facilities for younger people around the new canal system.

Urban Structure: Brussels

The Western part of the city of Brussels is divided socially and economically by the Canal and does not possess an order of well-structured spaces, so that, the purpose of this proposed urban structure has been to unite and equalize both sides by creating connections by means of open spaces and new urban facilities. The strategy is to create a system of three streets perpendicular to the Canal (which is repeated several times) where the central street turns into a pedestrian walk with local facilities and open spaces, to stimulate the movement of people in a transversal way, while the traffic would be transferred to both sides of the streets. Besides working perpendicularly to the Canal, a lateral tour is added that connects the different points of the previous system with a walkway (divided between the lateral streets of the Canal and a new one that is created at the level of the water). This walkway begins and ends in two rather big urban centers (Tour&Taxi and the Slaughter house) with new residential buildings and equipments that induce the movement of people. (proposal for Urban Structure by Usua Aseginolaza, student of the LaSalle Urban Studio group)