{"id":31254,"date":"2024-05-30T08:22:13","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T06:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/blog\/celebration-in-tournai-station-district-gets-a-new-look\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T09:12:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T08:12:46","slug":"celebration-in-tournai-station-district-gets-a-new-look","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/en\/news\/celebration-in-tournai-station-district-gets-a-new-look\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebration in Tournai: station district gets a new look"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The urban renewal project in Tournai is officially inaugurated. This project is part of the multimodal platform 2.0 at the Tournai train station and is part of the SMARTournai project portfolio. This portfolio is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Wallonia. The project includes various urban developments, including the station square, Crombez park, and Rue Royale.<\/strong><\/p>\n

F\u00eate \u00e0 Tournai : le quartier de la gare fait peau neuve<\/p>\n

To successfully carry out this project, a multidisciplinary team was assembled. Sweco’s team supervised the study and implementation of the work. For the design, we closely collaborated with STUDIO Paola Vigano. The project, which accompanies various transitions (mobility, ecology, and green spaces), aims to enhance the city center. This makes the city more pleasant to live in and visit, promotes commercial activity, and develops all forms of mobility with a focus on safety.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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C\u00e9dric Desmarets, Project Manager at Sweco : ‘This urban renewal project aims to aesthetically improve and revitalize the connection between the Tournai train station and the ‘cathedral’ district, the historical heart of the city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The redesign of the station square and Rue Royale contributes to ‘softening’ the public space. The goal is to improve readability, develop continuities and alternatives, activate them, and make their use multifunctional.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Gorike Vercauteren, Senior Project Leader at Sweco: ‘When renovating the public space, we took into account the residential and commercial character of the district around Rue Royale. We also considered the historical value of the city center and the important role of this route for train and bus passengers. Many traffic flows pass through to the city center, especially since Tournai is an important educational center located close to the French border.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo Credit: C\u00e9dric Desmarets et Gorike Vercauteren \u00a9 Sweco<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Renaissance of the station square and the Crombez park<\/h2>\n

The project has been presented to the public several times and has been adjusted based on feedback from residents and the public consultation that took place. The forecourt of the station has been transformed into a large pedestrian square, where the former traffic zone (parking area) for the station building was located. Some large ornamental trees have also been planted.<\/p>\n

\"F\u00eate<\/p>\n

The Crombez park has been renovated with a play area for children, safe street furniture, and redesigned flower beds. The park and square have been expanded to align with the boulevard and side facades. A terrace garden provides a connection between the station and Rue Royale, offering new functions for the park in relation to catering. The existing heritage, the gazebo, the statue, the balustrade of the small river, and the remarkable trees in the park have been restored and highlighted.<\/p>\n

\"F\u00eate<\/p>\n

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Royal view of the cathedral<\/h2>\n

The Rue Royale is now more attractive to everyone – residents, traders, customers, and all other users. The design is simple but purposeful, with porphyry paving and cast concrete (smooth formwork). Pedestrians can walk freely through the street. Thanks to the absence of level differences or edges, the parking spaces in Rue Royale and Crombez square are flexibly arranged.<\/p>\n

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Integrated mobility approach<\/h2>\n

The redesign of the station square and Rue Royale leads to changes in mobility and parking, with the aim of significantly reducing through traffic in the city center. The car traffic on the boulevards near the station are reduced to 2×1 lanes, with bus lanes and designated delivery zones in Rue Royale.<\/p>\n

This project is a collaboration between the city of Tournai, NMBS, TEC, and SPW, aimed at the long-term development of the station district. This includes the modernization and expansion of the bus station (TEC), increasing parking capacity (NMBS), and redesigning the Boulevards des Nerviens and des D\u00e9port\u00e9s (SPW).<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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