A four-lane motorway through the heart of Brussels’ EU district has been transformed overnight to accommodate post-lockdown cyclists.

Anton Lazarus takes a look at how European cities are being rebuilt for people, not cars.

Until this week the Rue de la Loi-Wetstraat was a four-lane, car-choked highway funneling motorway traffic through the European district of the Belgian capital. As if by magic everything changed this week after contractors worked through the night so that the people of Brussels could wake up to a cycling miracle.

With people expected to swap crowded buses and trains for a healthy cycle or walk, demand for road space for ‘active transport’ looks set to skyrocket in the coming months. And the European capital is among a group of cities leading the way in embracing measures to ensure a healthier city.

A city for people, not cars

Brussels has already implemented a new 20km/h speed limit in the city centre to protect vulnerable road users and pedestrians forced onto the street to ensure physical distancing, and the city has bold plans to do more.

The city’s transport minister is Elke Van den Brandt, who has thanked a number of colleagues – including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo – for their “inspiration”.

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