Rethinking the Impact of Urban Form in Sustainable Urban Planning Policy

Abstract

This paper examines how urban form affects the sustainable development of cities. It look at the case of Brussels, a city and a region with a very distinctive position in Belgium and in Europe, where public and political institutions have developed together detailed management plans to ensure the responsible management of the city in environment, social and economic terms. The paper first examines the concept of urban form and its constituent features. It then analyses two main questions: How can urban form indicators be integrated in decision-making process for sustainable urban planning? What urban development priorities are in place in Brussels-Capital Region and how do they impact the urban form development of the city? By proposing an analysis on the notion of urban form in Brussels-Capital Region, this paper intends to equip designers and decision makers with a better overview the type of city environmental strategies that can be deployed in the early stages of urban development projects. Keywords: Urban form, Density, Polycentric, Brussels-Capital Region, Policy development