Hélène Rillaerts strengthens urban planning in Belgium through a dual commitment

Challenges in spatial planning are intensifying. Topics such as climate mitigation and adaptation, densification, reducing land take, and quality of life require an integrated approach and well-informed long-term decisions. In this context, urban planning is playing an increasingly central role.

Within Sweco, Hélène Rillaerts actively contributes to this evolution. In addition to her role as an urban planner, she serves as Secretary General of the Chamber of Urban Planners of Belgium and as a reference expert for HQE Aménagement certification. This combination not only strengthens her expertise, but also creates clear added value for projects and clients.

Urban planning as a strategic lever

Urban planning is a cross-disciplinary field that connects territorial vision, design, policy, and implementation. Moving towards committed urban planning that enables both resilient and regenerative projects requires bringing together a range of technical expertise. In addition, ensuring societal value means working in close dialogue with all local stakeholders.

For Sweco, this means urban planners play a key role in both shaping and managing space, from defining territorial strategies to supporting implementation, from vision to realisation. This integrated approach enables early identification of risks and better-informed decision-making for future development. For clients, this results in more robust projects that are better prepared for upcoming challenges.

The Chamber of Urban Planners of Belgium as a voice for the sector

Within the Chamber of Urban Planners of Belgium, Hélène actively contributes to strengthening the professionalisation and visibility of urban planning in Belgium. The organisation plays a key role in structuring the discipline and representing it towards policymakers and stakeholders. In a context where roles often overlap, she helps clarify the position of urban planning within society.

“It is essential to build a strong, shared narrative around urban planning so that project owners better understand its impact.”

The CUB also promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration between professionals. This helps raise the overall quality of projects and ensures a more consistent approach across the sector.

HQE Aménagement: making sustainability tangible

As a reference expert for HQE Aménagement, Hélène works with a methodological framework that structures and makes sustainable territorial development tangible. HQE Aménagement is based on an integrated approach combining ecological, social, and economic dimensions. It ensures a transparent process in dialogue with all stakeholders.

For clients, this means better control over area development projects. Decisions are more substantiated, stakeholders are more actively involved, and the long-term perspective is systematically integrated.

« This ensures that sustainability is not kept at an abstract level, but translated into concrete decisions and measurable impact, within an integrated approach to sustainable area development. »

Added value for Sweco and its clients

The combination of these engagements strengthens Sweco’s position as a partner in complex spatial development projects.

For Sweco, this results in:

• deep urban planning expertise
• access to sector developments and networks
• a strengthened role in strategic projects

For clients, the benefits are clear:

• integrated solutions within a multidisciplinary approach
• better-informed decisions from early project phases
• sustainable, future-oriented outcomes

By actively applying this knowledge in its projects, Sweco supports its clients in creating high-quality and resilient living environments.

Shaping the future of urban planning

Hélène’s engagement illustrates how individual expertise and sector involvement reinforce each other. By contributing both to content development and to the positioning of the profession, she supports the continued professionalisation of urban planning in Belgium.