In the coming years, parts of Wijgmaal will undergo a true transformation. It is already an attractive place to live, close to the city and in the midst of green surroundings, with space for relaxation and a wide range of facilities. A combined approach for the projects planned in Wijgmaal will help preserve its identity, improve its quality of life and work towards climate neutrality. This will help Wijgmaal become a 10-minute centre, where there is plenty to be found within walking and cycling distance.
Who are all the partners in the trajectory?
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By looking at the bigger picture and considering all the available space in Wijgmaal, opportunities are created to better align projects and interventions. Step by step, Wijgmaal is transforming into a climate-neutral, future-proof place to live, work, and thrive. The City of Leuven wants to make this process more efficient while strengthening the village’s sense of cohesion. By drafting a single spatial implementation plan for the entire village core—rather than separate plans for each part—Leuven ensures that all initiatives are well integrated. Here’s what’s on the agenda:
South of the railway, between Wakkerzeelsebaan and Baron Descampslaan, the City of Leuven (through its development agency AG Stadsontwikkeling Leuven) and housing company Dijledal plan to build around 126 homes and a new community center. The neighborhood will be low-traffic and powered without fossil fuels. North of the tracks, plans include additional housing within a park setting, a sustainable pick-your-own farm, a school, and a daycare center. The spatial implementation plan (RUP) is currently in development.
Did you know the Ymeria site is actually an island? The sports area will be redesigned with more green space and room for water. One branch of the Dijle River will be reopened by removing the asphalt and concrete covering it. This will allow the river to absorb more water during heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding. A new cycling bridge will connect the site to the village, making walking and biking easier and discouraging car traffic.
The station building will get a new life as an office space (for Dialoog vzw) and a meeting point. The renovation prioritizes reclaimed building materials, including elements from the building itself: bricks from a demolished wing were cleaned and reused for an interior wall. The exterior features reclaimed wood, and the metalwork is designed to be dismantled for future reuse. The area will also include bike parking, a sports hall, and more green space around the station square. New tunnels under the railway will make walking and cycling safer.
Call for ideas from local residents
Feedback on the preliminary design
Citizen panel founded
City council approves the masterplan
Our feedback on the initial draft of the spatial plan
Workshop on the draft design
End of the project.
Call for ideas from local residents
Feedback on the preliminary design
Citizen panel founded
City council approves the masterplan
Our feedback on the initial draft of the spatial plan
Workshop on the draft design
End of the project.
In the neighbourhoods where we live, work and play, Leuveners come into contact with the solutions proposed by the Leuven Climate City Contract. These solutions can reinforce each other. Especially in places where new housing, mobility solutions, energy infrastructure and nature-based solutions come together, unique opportunities arise to accelerate our city's climate transition. This is precisely why the city is taking a holistic view of the breakthrough projects that are in the pipeline. In the urban renewal projects that thus come into view, various partners work together and local residents are always central.
