The City of Leuven is aiming to become climate neutral, by 2030. Climate neutral means a zero net carbon footprint – in other words the balance of carbon produced versus carbon sequestered.
In practice there are three particular areas that Leuven is focusing on. Firstly mobility, then buildings and gardens and finally consumption of materials. A large part of this story is about creating more attractive local areas where people feel happier, less likely to travel and a greater interest in caring for each other. It is about doing more with less.
As BUUR is based in Leuven and has worked extensively in local mobility and public space, we were asked to develop a number of spatial ideas for a low carbon future in the city that represented some of those ideas discussed. This involved creating a series of visions or scenarios where we pictured possible modes of transport, possible uses of public space, possible living conditions and so on.
While many of the ideas are fanciful and impractical, they offer a new way of viewing and experiencing the city. Through this process, the city can reevaluate some of their public spaces and modes of transport while giving the public a sense of what a climate neutral city may mean to them.
