CHARLEROI METROPOLE - Un schéma stratégique

The fourth issue of Charleroi Métropole has been published four years after the Charleroi Bouwmeester team was formed. Their initial desire to get involved in everything has turned into a regular strategy. Because of this, they have had countless discussions and debates with politicians, administrative services, institutions, inter-communal structures, and even leading brands, with the goal of implementing, expanding and developing projects. Thanks to many collaborations and strategies that have been implemented, this book will present a series of projects that affirm their vision for the city, developed over the past few years.

In the heart of the city, one construction site leads to another: Ville-Haute will undergo its great renewal in the next few months, while the Ville-Basse has already been profoundly transformed. Walking through the city, the extent of this transformation is clear. It must be said that we had a great deal to accomplish.

These key projects, like the Left Side's towers, the neighbourhood around the Station, and the campus will become places to live, work, relax and learn in the years to come. When these works are completed, our downtown core will proudly show the spirit of Charleroi: it is a city, a great city, that must develop its identity as an urban centre. Density is a key challenge that we must address, in order to respond to environmental and demographic changes that will arise. Finally, it would be unthinkable to overlook the issue of biodiversity, it must hold a key place in the rich and vibrant fabric of the city as it undergoes further changes in the years to come. Charleroi, with its challenging past, must become an example of resilience.

Because Charleroi is not content to simply be The Place to See, it is becoming The Place to Live.

Georgios Maïllis

Bouwmeester of Charleroi