High-level exchange: The role of Urban Planning in achieving the green, productive and just city

Organised with perspective.brussels and the Belgian Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building.

The EUKN facilitated a high-level exchange focusing on spatial challenges, solutions, and EU policies. This was one of the EUKN’s contributions to the 2024 Belgian EU Council Presidency, besides the Urban Agenda Lab and our research paper on “The impact of EU regulations and policies on land use in cities”.

Meeting in Brussels, participants included high-level policymakers from Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, who exchanged perspectives, dilemmas, successes, as well as country-specific experiences and strategies in aligning with the New Leipzig Charter objectives. The event linked up with the priorities outlined by the 2024 Belgian Council Presidency, emphasising spatial planning, urban governance, and a place-based approach as essential tools for achieving European objectives. The High-level meeting concluded with a site visit to the North Territory of Brussels, linking existing and future projects with the overarching principles of creating a just, green, and productive city, while also showcasing the practical application of planning instruments in the Brussels-Capital Region.