Leuven, or Louvain, is a thriving city east of Brussels, within the Flanders region. A university city since 1425, Leuven has a rich mix of historic and contemporary quarters, a prospering economy of innovation and science, and a diverse 100,000-strong population, of which half are students at KU Leuven University.
Leuven has a rich history, with many spaces protected under a range of international, national, and local protections. The green infrastructure plan indicates that the historic cores are particularly dense, when compared to the outer suburban-style development. Characterised by a dense network of streets, alleys, courtyards and squares, Leuven’s pockets of history are distributed across the city, particularly along the River Dyle and within the city core, such as Leuven Station and the UNESCO-protected Great Beguinage. Leuven’s character and identity is embedded in this heritage, which was built on a foundation of religion, education and innovation.
Leuven has been a test bed for the Hoppin Point network - a network of mobility hubs being implemented across the Flanders region. To support this network, the Flemish government have supported local municipalities by setting out a structured project process, outlining how to go from vision to construction. A suite of technical guidance and brand guidelines have been developed, providing consistency in the quality of hubs across the region.
The Design Guide has proved to be a guiding document, setting a standard for the quality of mobility hubs, and providing detailed guidance to create high-quality points of interchange. The principles highlighted in the guide are summarised in the graphic below.
