BRUXELLES/ BRUSSEL - Geography and history
Brussels, which became a fully-fledged region in 1989, consists of 19 municipalities covering a total area of 161 km2.
Founded in the tenth century as a military outpost by the Duke of Lorraine, the Brussels conurbation grew up along the valley of the Senne, a small stream that has today been completely built over.
At Brussels the valley sides are asymmetrical: the western slope, composed of clay, is not so steep (1.5-2% gradient) as the eastern slope (6-8%).
The conurbation has spread especially to the east and south.
Brussels is situated at the point where the low-lying plains of northern Europe meet the central plateaux. At the junction of these two topographical zones, Brussels is also the point of contact of two cultures and language areas: French and Dutch.
The climate is temperate, with an annual average minimum temperature of 6.3°C and an annual average maximum of 13.5°C. In summer the weather is warm, with temperatures rising above 20°C.
Reconciling the region's international role and the life of its inhabitants
Torn between its European and international role on the one hand and meeting the needs of all its inhabitants on the other, Brussels must face the challenge of its dual identity.
Some 700 000 native Bruxellois rub shoulders daily with more than 250 000 foreigners in a climate of mutual understanding. However, this balance is threatened by the danger of social exclusion affecting the less resilient sections of the population: young people and immigrants.
In terms of urban planning and housing, the Brussels region has certain major advantages.
It has a large number of parks and gardens, an urban environment on a human scale and a ready supply of affordable housing.
Starting in the 1960s, Brussels suffered the effects of property speculation, which sparked off an unregulated construction boom and the flight of the city's inhabitants to the suburbs. Today efforts are directed toward achieving a balance between housing and office space in order to stabilise the population within the region.
It is still possible to get about by car, but traffic jams and parking problems are increasingly the rule. The modernisation and expansion of the public transport system should encourage commuters to leave their cars at home. A policy of decentralising services has also been implemented in the region to prevent the city centre from becoming over-congested.
Sharp contrasts between municipalities
The less densely populated municipalities (Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre) are located in the southeast of the region and have fewer than 50 inhabitants per hectare. In these municipalities foreigners make up less than 20% of the population and generally belong to the higher socioeconomic groups (European civil servants and international executives).
In contrast, the more densely populated municipalities (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Saint-Gilles and Etterbeek, with 140 inhabitants per hectare) accommodate a predominantly working-class population and have a significant proportion of foreigners {56.7% in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and 48.1% in Saint-Gilles in 1990).
Generally speaking, the municipalities to the south and east, close to the Soignes forest, are residential, recently built and have a great deal of open space.
Municipalities such as Anderlecht to the west, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and Ganshoren to the northwest remain, in certain respects, villages within the city and contain semi-rural areas.
The city of Brussels and the municipalities close to the centre have old and often uncomfortable housing, but enjoy high-quality health, education and cultural facilities, which constitute major advantages when it comes to redeveloping such areas.
Of the region's jobs 43% are concentrated in the city of Brussels, while no other single municipality has more than 7%.
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