Today, Foetz may seem like an unremarkable cluster of warehouse-style shops, car parks and industrial facilities. In the future, it could look and feel very different.
Visit Foetz today and it may seem like a model for how not to do urban planning: empty stores, no cycle infrastructure and when the shops and businesses close, a desert for human life. But this site, which hosts a Technoport incubator satellite centre, will undergo a dramatic transformation in the coming years.
A multi-disciplinary team led by the University of Luxembourg has launched a study of the blocking points for redeveloping the area with a view to developing a Masterplan for its transformation.
The pilot will provide a model for how to convert commercial or industrial zones into “high-quality, multifunctional district, making more rational use of the available space,” by integrating housing, services and other facilities.
According to a government statement, the considerations of existing businesses will be taken into account. When the planned Cloche d’Or-Belval high-speed tram opens in 2030, passengers will be able to reach Foetz from the capital in just 12 minutes. With the right housing solutions, this ease of access could make the area considerably more attractive for commuters.
The University of Luxembourg team proposes a mix of urban neighbourhood without building on greenfield sites or demolishing large-scale buildings. It will include new emission-free residential buildings in the car parks of the existing shopping centres and production sites. The entire neighbourhood will be surrounded by a green belt.
“In this way, we are transforming the grey Foetz island into a verdant site that’s well connected to the surrounding landscape,” think tank Luxembourg In Transition explained.
