Turnhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Turnhout began its Turnhout 2050° plan with 180 attendees, surpassing expectations. Stijn Adriaensens welcomed the public’s ideas as residents like Lou Dehouwer and Tim Michielsen voiced concerns and ideas.
As VRT News reported, the first meeting in Turnhout about the city’s future took place on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The meeting was about the city’s plan, called ‘Turnhout 2050°.’ Around 180 people came to the meeting. This was more people than the city expected, by about 60 people, which made Stijn Adriaensens, the city’s planner, happy.
According to Adriaensens, it was a good sign that so many people wanted to be involved in the plan. He also said that it’s important to include people in making decisions. He said that in the past, the city sometimes made decisions without asking people what they thought. Now, the city wants to be more open and include everyone in making decisions.
“We have learned in the meantime that you cannot make important decisions above the heads of the population.”
Stin Adriaensens (N-VA/CD&V), alderman for spatial planning
What do Turnhout residents want for the city’s future in 2050?
The city of Turnhout wants to work with the people who live there to create this plan together. Officials mentioned that this plan will help the city deal with problems and find new opportunities in the years to come. The city wants to know what the people think, so they can make the best choices.
Other cities in Europe are doing this too. For instance, Mechelen asks its people for ideas about how to build public spaces. The OECD, which is a group of countries, says it’s good to talk to people about how to build public spaces. This way, the city’s future will be shaped by the people who live there.
“And the best way is to involve residents from the start and not just afterwards. It is important to engage people to think along,”
Stin Adriaensens says.
During a recent meeting, some people shared strong feelings about protecting the local environment and improving how the city is planned. Lou Dehouwer, who was at the meeting, said he was very concerned about the city growing. He wants the city to focus on fixing up old, empty buildings instead of building new ones.
He mentioned that some buildings have been empty for as long as 40 years and look bad. Many residents worry that more buildings could damage natural areas like the Turnhout Vennengebied, which is a special place with nature that people love to visit.
“Nature is close to my heart: I would like to see the Turnhout Fen area remain intact.”
Lou Dehouwer, resident of Turnhout
Tim Michielsen, who owns a garden centre in Turnhout, also spoke at the meeting. He said it’s important to deal with environmental problems, like the nitrogen issue in the Vennengebied. He’s glad to be involved early on and wants everyone to work together to find solutions.
The city wants residents to keep sharing ideas by writing or emailing beleidsplanruimte@turnhout.be before June 30, 2025. Turnhout will have more meetings to make sure everyone’s opinions are heard as they plan for the future.
