Urban Policies in Belgium: A Puff-pastry with a Bittersweet Aftertaste?

With an average population density of 339 inhabitants per km², Belgium is one of the most urbanised countries in Europe. Most Belgian cities, although dating back from the Middle Ages, experienced a major growth period under the influence of nineteenth-century industrialisation. Belgium, and especially Flanders, has a dense network of small cities and towns and only 23 per cent of the population does not live in the commuter zone of one of the 17 urban regions with more than 80,000 inhabitants. These 17 urban regions occupy 26 per cent of the total surface area of Belgium, but they comprise 57 per cent of the population, 65 per cent of the employment and 73 per cent of the executive positions (Merenne et al., 1997, p. 14, 1991 statistics).