Determining and Implementing the Potential Sustainable Urban Densification: The Case Study of Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium

For the past few decades, fast urbanization and big urban sprawl phenomena took place due to an increase in population, migration, globalization, and European integration. This caused a rise in land and property prices together with inner-city problems. Faced with the need to accommodate a growing number of inhabitants in major European cities and capitals, this research aims to establish a multi-criteria methodology that identifies potential Urban Densification zones and facilitates decision-making. The Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium which is projected to have an increase of 190,000 inhabitants by 2040 is chosen as a case study. An inventory was carried out by COOPARCH-RU team at the same time of the development of the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (PRDD) of the BCR. This thesis highlights the mapping methodologies used by this inventory identifying potential areas for Urban Densification based on restrictive, programmatic, and localization criteria. These mapping and quantization methodologies are analyzed while highlighting intervention priorities and extracting conclusions. The urban project proposal at the end of the thesis tests the feasibility and clarifies an application of the research conclusions. Urban Densification is implemented in different scenarios on building block scale, using different methods, in the selected potential areas of the BCR. Building up on this work is a contribution for the PRDD, urban planners, and decision�makers who are responsible for setting sustainable development programs.