Municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region and capital of Belgium
This article is about the municipality, which is the de jure national capital. For the greater urban area with the status of Capital Region, seeBrussels.
City and municipality in Belgium
City of Brussels
Ville de Bruxelles / Bruxelles-Ville(French) Stad Brussel / Brussel-Stad(Dutch)
As of 1 January 2024[update], the City of Brussels had a population of 196,828 inhabitants.[5] The total area is 33.09 km2 (12.78 sq mi), which gives apopulation density of 5,949/km2 (15,410/sq mi).[5] As of 2023[update], there were 75,998 registered non-Belgians in the City.[6] In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legallybilingual (French–Dutch).
Historically, the City of Brussels was simply defined, being the area within thesecond walls of Brussels, the modern-daySmall Ring (Brussels' inner ring road). As the city grew, so did the surrounding villages, eventually forming a contiguous city, though the local governments retained control of their respective areas.
At thecountry's independence in 1830, the new members of the Belgian upper class hoped to create a new prestigious residential area in the capital. An official plan for theLeopold Quarter was drawn up in 1838, marking the first major extension of the City of Brussels in its eastern part, following the transfer of a large area of the municipality ofSaint-Josse-ten-Noode. The area was designed to emanate fromBrussels Park (located in front of theRoyal Palace), and was laid out on a grid in a traditional classical pattern centred around theSquare Frère Orban/Frère-Orbansquare.
Shortly afterwards, in 1844, theAvenue Louise/Louizalaan was proposed as a monumental avenue bordered bychestnut trees that would allow easy access fromBrussels' city centre to the popular recreational area of theBois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos.[7][8][9] However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the towns ofSaint-Gilles andIxelles—then, as now, separate municipalities (local authorities) from the City of Brussels—through whose territories the avenue was to run.[10] After years of fruitless negotiations, the City of Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue, in addition to the Bois de la Cambre itself, in April 1864.[11][12][9] That decision accounts for the unusual shape of today's City of Brussels and for the separation of Ixelles into two separate areas.
To the east, in 1853, following the bankruptcy of Saint-Josse's municipal administration, the City of Brussels purchased half of this municipality. Nowadays, this is theSquares Quarter, the only part of the Brussels municipality to have the same postal code (1040) as the municipality ofEtterbeek. Further east, in 1880, a former military exercise ground and the surrounding land, also located in Etterbeek, were attached to the City to create theParc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark, an exhibition space commemorating the 50th anniversary of independence. A leisure park and museums were subsequently set up there.
Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones now located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975.[13] However, a few neighbouring municipalities have been merged into the City of Brussels, includingHaren,Laeken andNeder-Over-Heembeek in 1921.[14] These comprise the northern bulge in the municipality. To the south-east is the above-mentioned strip of land along the Avenue Louise that was annexed from Saint-Gilles and Ixelles. Part of theUniversité libre de Bruxelles (ULB)'s Solbosch campus is also part of the City of Brussels, partially accounting for the bulge in the south-eastern end.
As of 1 January 2024[update], the City of Brussels' population was 196,828 inhabitants.[5] The area is 33.09 km2 (12.78 sq mi), making the density 5,949/km2 (15,410/sq mi).[5]
Taking into account the current municipality, including the former municipalities annexed in 1921 (Haren, Laeken and Neder-over-Heembeek) from 1831:
Sources: INS: 1806 to 1981 = census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January
The City of Brussels has a large immigrant population, with both the EU and non-European migrant communities outnumbering the native Belgians. Akin to neighbouringIxelles,Etterbeek andSchaerbeek, the City of Brussels also has a largeMuslim population, mainly ofNorth African origin.
As of 2023[update], taking into account the nationality of birth of the parents, 55.84% of the City of Brussels's population is of non-European origin (predominantly Moroccan, Indian and Congolese), 27.21% is of European origin other than Belgian (mainly French, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, and Polish), while 16.94% is solely of native Belgian ancestry.[15] Among all major migrant groups from outside the EU, a majority of the permanent residents have acquired Belgian nationality.[16]
Migrant communities in the City of Brussels with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020:[17]
Brussels is ranked sixth in the index of cities which are becoming greener fastest as for the year 2022, even though in the past it had a reputation of a "traffic-choked city of high rises and concrete". The authorities released a plan composed of seven steps on how to make the city even moresustainable. Those include introducing "a use-based,circular andlow-carbon economy" and making the city "proactive". The city should become a "10-minute city" meaning "making the facilities essential to urban life accessible to every inhabitant in less than 10 minutes".Green spaces should be expanded. The plan includes participation of the population in decision-making and high life level for all.[22]
Two lions rampant Or armed and langued Gules each holding a banner: dexter, the arms of theDuchy of Brabant, also those ofBelgium, sinister, the arms of the city
TheOriginal arms were plain Gules.[30] From the 16th century on, it was customary to put the figure of the city seal representing Saint Michael, first as a shadow then in a more elaborate form.[31]
^The Belgian Constitution(PDF). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian House of Representatives. May 2014. p. 63. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 10 August 2015. Retrieved10 September 2015.
Demey, Thierry (2007).Brussels, capital of Europe. S. Strange (trans.). Brussels: Badeaux.ISBN978-2-9600414-6-0.
Douillet, Isabelle; Schaack, Cécile (2005–2006).L'avenue Louise et les rues adjacentes(PDF). Inventaire du Patrimoine architectural, Bruxelles-Extensions Sud (in French). Brussels: P. Crahay.
Eggericx, Laure (1997).Les Boulevards du Centre. Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). Vol. 20. Brussels: Centre d'information, de Documentation et d'Etude du Patrimoine.
Mierop, Caroline (1997).L'avenue Louise. Bruxelles, ville d'Art et d'Histoire (in French). Vol. 19. Brussels: Centre d'information, de Documentation et d'Etude du Patrimoine.
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