Landen - Landen – master plan and visual-quality plan

Landen is located on the language border between Flanders and Wallonia in the province of Flemish Brabant, which borders the provinces of Limburg, Liège and Walloon Brabant. The city has 15,000 inhabitants and is made up of 14 sub-districts: Landen, Rumsdorp, Attenhoven, Neerlanden, Neerwinden, Overwinden, Laar, Wange, Eliksem, Ezemaal, Waasmont, Walsbets, Wezeren and Walshoutem. It has an approximate total land area of 5,405 hectares.

Landen’s station forms an important interchange for rail transport to other urban areas and represents a crucial component in the heart of the town. One of Landen’s great trump cards is the vast and open agricultural area with undulating plateaus and limited woodland, together with the highly concentrated combination of the compact villages and the urban fabric of central Landen. The area forms one of Flanders’ best agricultural regions and shapes the centre of economic activity in Haspengouw. A number of villages are characterised by a valuable, cultural-historic heritage.

In recent years, Landen has experienced strong growth and has attracted many new residents as a result of the creation of various residential in-fill and expansion areas close to the centre. This growth requires a spatial concept, a masterplan that is both timeless and sustainable and takes into account the current functions and the need for integrated functions in the centre.

The new design for the station area adjoining the central axis requires more than ever a clear foundation. The main spearhead of this project is the layout of the town centre in relation to the station area, with a high-quality reorganisation of the shopping street linked to the public areas and squares.

The local authority wishes to lay down a specific, individual identity for its whole area in a visual quality plan. It is not only a modern image for the town centre and its public spaces that is wanted; the municipal authorities also wish to create an individual identity and character for each village in the other 13 sub-districts.

Landen local authority is working on the formulation and definition of a social-perception research project and the project definition is being drawn up.  We are seeking an innovative and motivated team that wants to contribute towards defining the future image of the town of Landen.

In the competition phase, a concept is requested for a masterplan/visual quality plan for the borough and 2 sub-districts.

Following the delivery of the masterplan and visual quality plan, the client may or may not decide to allocate all or a part of the briefs for the implementation of the public-domain in the high street to the design team.