Knokke-Heist (Brussels Morning): Natienlaan in Knokke-Heist transformed into a ‘green boulevard’ under Mayor Jan Morbee’s leadership enhancing traffic flow, safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and adding eco-friendly features like green spaces.
Natienlaan is a big road that connects the inside to the East Coast and they’re fixing it up to make it better for the environment and people living there. Mayor Jan Morbee thinks this project is super important. They’ve been planning to improve this road since 2009 showing they’re serious about making it better. The upgrades might include making traffic smoother keeping walkers and bikers safe and maybe adding green areas or eco-friendly stuff to match modern city planning ideas.
How has Natienlaan in Knokke-Heist transformed into an eco-friendly ‘Green Boulevard” under Mayor Jan Morbee?
Natienlaan has changed a lot in the last four years into a ‘green boulevard’ because of Mayor Jan Morbee. They’re trying to make this important road more eco-friendly and nice for people living there. One big change is the Park Roundabout at Maurice Lippensplein which has green areas and things for pedestrians making the city look better and work well. They’ve also added Balcony Roundabouts on Dudzelestraat and Kalvekeetdilk with fancy landscaping ideas. These roundabouts probably have raised green areas or balconies making the air cleaner and the city greener. There’s a Turbo Roundabout at Duinenwater that’s meant to handle traffic well and might have eco-friendly features to help the environment. They’re working to make Natienlaan modern and eco-friendly thinking about both traffic and the environment for the folks living there and visiting.
They moved the parking spots from the road to above and below ground parking areas and public lots. This change made room for wider bike paths and walkways. They also added green areas in the middle and on the sides of the road. It was a tough job to plan everything especially because they had to do the work in different stages. They upgraded the utility lines and changed from one sewer system to two separate ones. They made sure the shops and gas stations stayed open during the changes. It was a lot of work to manage all this, especially with more tourists around during the busy season.
Mayor Jan Morbee from Gementebelangen expects the Natienlaan project to be finished by November after years of work to make it a ‘green boulevard’. They plan to add the finishing touches in autumn by planting trees and flowers when the weather is cooler and better for planting. This planting part is crucial for making Natienlaan look nicer, provide shade and support urban wildlife. The city wants to make Natienlaan more attractive and eco-friendly by finishing these landscaping details, benefiting both residents and visitors. The Natienlaan transformation project was a joint effort between the Knokke-Heist town and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic. The entire project cost around 10.2 million euros. This collaboration allowed for the planning and execution of the project to create a green boulevard enhancing the area’s aesthetics and sustainability. The combined resources and expertise of the municipality and the agency contributed to the successful realization of the project benefiting the local community and visitors alike.
