Wetteren, with around 25,000 inhabitants, is one of over a hundred ‘Smart City’ projects in Belgium, which aim to keep in place traditional services while making them more responsive and efficient. Wetteren’s renewal began with an idea from Belgium’s Belfius Bank. It recognised that municipalities needed support to encourage and enable more energy efficiency, urban renewal projects and mobility. So the Bank came up with its Smart Cities and Sustainable Development Programme.
The European Investment Bank saw the social and environmental benefits of the programme and joined in funding more than 100 projects throughout Belgium. Wetteren redeveloped a brownfield site right in the heart of the city centre next to the River Scheldt. In addition to the new town hall, this area now boasts 67 apartments, a post office and cafes around an open square with fountains.
There’s underground parking, which means the new site is car free. There is also a new bridge across the river reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, allowing easy access to the city centre and its schools. A regional court of justice is also on the way.
