Redevelopment of the Place de la Reine and its surroundings

As part of the "Brabant - Nord - Saint-Lazare" urban renewal contract, Brussels Mobility, in partnership with the municipality of Schaerbeek and the STIB, is planning the redevelopment of the area around the Place de la Reine. This includes the square itself between the rue des Palais and the chaussée de Haecht, part of the rue Royale, the rue Dupont, the rue de la Poste and the rue de Beughem.

The Place de la Reine is a strategic place in the urban landscape. On the border of the municipalities of Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, it is one of the few large squares in the northern part of the city. Numerous historic buildings of great heritage value are located along the Tracé Royal, which connects the Castle of Laeken to the Royal Palace of Brussels. The Eglise Sainte Marie is a visual landmark from several vantage points in the city.

The many functions surrounding the Place de la Reine give it a strong social role. Despite the presence of numerous schools, shops, restaurants and cultural facilities, it remains a poorly valued and difficult to read square, criss-crossed by numerous transport networks.

The square deserves to be upgraded to become a neighbourhood centre and a local and external reference point.

The challenges

The redevelopment project provides for a new use of the Place de la Reine, so that users can make it their own. To achieve this, it will be necessary to

• create a peaceful and pleasant space where everyone feels welcome
• improve the quality of life by creating links with existing green spaces
• enhance the existing heritage;
• improve accessibility, comfort and road safety for pedestrians and cyclists and around schools;
• optimise the legibility, safety and comfort of public transport by grouping stops together;
• slowing down transit traffic;
• create an interaction between the public space and the different functions around the square;
• create a link with future developments in the neighbourhood.

Good Move

In a parallel initiative, the municipality of Schaarbeek worked on a local mobility contract as part of the regional mobility plan Good Move. This will make the area around the Koninklijke Sinte-Maria Church a low-traffic neighbourhood. The project for the Koninginneplein will of course take this into account.