Brussels has officially designated the Wielsmoeras wetland in the Forest municipality as a protected nature area, permanently blocking any future construction on a site that emerged entirely by accident nearly two decades ago. Secretary of State for the Environment and Urban Renewal Ans Persoons announced the decision, confirming that the Brussels regional government will transform the site into a new public park spanning approximately sixteen thousand square meters.
The wetland’s origin story reflects a genuinely unusual chapter in Brussels urban development history. The site once housed the Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery, one of Belgium’s most significant historic breweries, which closed its doors in 1988. When a construction project began along Van Volxemlaan in 2007, workers accidentally punctured the local groundwater table, flooding the excavation site. When the 2008 financial crisis then halted the broader construction project, the water remained, gradually developing into a genuine wetland ecosystem complete with its own distinct flora and fauna over the following years.
That accidental wetland has since become home to a surprisingly rich urban ecosystem, drawing attention from local nature enthusiasts and conservation groups. Green frogs have established a noisy mating chorus each spring, with males producing calls loud enough to reach ninety decibels during peak breeding season. A swan family successfully nested at the site, and neighborhood volunteers have organized regular cleanup efforts alongside small community garden plots and beehives, transforming what began as an abandoned construction pit into a genuinely cherished neighborhood green space.
Under the newly approved protection status, the entire Wielsmoeras site will be designated as protected nature area, permanently excluding any future building development. Brussels Environment and the regional development agency Beliris will work together with local residents to design the space specifically for walking, play, and relaxation, with water expected to play a particularly prominent role in the eventual park design given the site’s unique hydrological origins.
Design plans for the new park are expected by early 2027, with construction work anticipated to begin in early 2028. Local community organizations, including the WIELS contemporary art center and the Brass cultural center located near the site, along with neighborhood residents, will be involved throughout the planning process, reflecting officials’ stated commitment to designing the space in genuine consultation with the surrounding community rather than imposing a top down development plan.
Beyond the Wielsmoeras site specifically, the Brussels government simultaneously approved protection for two additional valuable natural areas, the Donderberg and the Avijlplateau, both of which will similarly be excluded from future construction under this broader environmental protection initiative. This combined action reflects a wider regional push to preserve remaining pockets of natural habitat within an otherwise densely built urban environment.
Persoons has framed the initiative around ensuring every Brussels resident has access to quality green space within their neighborhood for recreation, rest, and cooling during summer heat, acknowledging that while Brussels already contains numerous excellent parks, certain neighborhoods remain underserved by accessible natural spaces. The Wielsmoeras location, situated near the train tracks leading toward Brussels South station, will specifically serve residents in a part of the city that has historically lacked substantial green infrastructure.
As design work begins moving forward toward the 2027 timeline, neighborhood residents and community advocates who spent years campaigning against earlier development proposals for the site can finally see their vision of a protected, publicly accessible natural space moving toward genuine implementation, transforming what started as an unintended consequence of a failed construction project into a lasting environmental asset for the surrounding Brussels community.
