Brussels This Week: Canal Zone Construction Delays, Heatwave Deaths, and a Security Scare Near the European Quarter

Three people died in Brussels between June 28 and July 2 during the same extreme heat event that killed more than 2,000 across France at its peak, according to figures released Thursday by Sciensano, Belgium's public health institute. The city's crisis coordination unit activated its Plan Canicule protocol on June 29, opening 14 cooling centres across the 19 communes, including the Laeken community centre on Rue Sergent De Bruyne and the Ixelles public library on Chaussée d'Ixelles. Temperatures hit 38.4°C at the Uccle meteorological station on June 30 — the highest reading there since August 2021.

The deaths renewed pressure on Brussels Environment, the regional agency responsible for urban greening, to accelerate the Canal Plan's tree-planting targets. The agency had committed to planting 1,200 new trees along the canal corridor between Anderlecht and Laeken by the end of 2026, but contractor delays mean only 340 have gone in the ground so far. City councillors are expected to demand an explanation at the July 9 session of the Brussels Capital Regional Parliament.

Molenbeek Regeneration Hits Another Snag

The long-running Tivoli urban development project in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean ran into fresh legal trouble this week when a residents' association filed an injunction with the Council of State challenging permits for a planned 12-storey residential tower on Rue Herkoliers. The association, Collectif Tivoli Vivant, argues the tower violates the neighbourhood's Good Living Plan — a zoning framework adopted by the commune in 2023 — and would cast permanent shadow over the existing low-rise social housing blocks to the north. A hearing is scheduled for September 4. The developer, Besix Red, has not commented publicly.

The dispute is the third legal challenge to hit the Tivoli site since groundbreaking in 2022. The project, which promises 500 new housing units including 30 percent social housing, has already slipped 18 months behind its original completion target of late 2025. Rent pressure in Molenbeek has not eased in the meantime: the median asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the commune hit €1,150 per month in June, up 8 percent year-on-year, according to data from the real estate platform Immoweb.

Across the canal in the European Quarter, police on Tuesday carried out enhanced bag checks at Schuman metro station and along Rue de la Loi following a security advisory issued by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis. OCAM raised Belgium's national threat level to three — on a four-point scale — on July 1, citing the broader European security climate. No specific incident occurred in Brussels, but the advisory kept uniformed officers visible at Place du Luxembourg and around the Berlaymont building through Wednesday evening. STIB, the city's public transport operator, said it deployed additional staff to Schuman and Arts-Loi stations during peak hours.

What to Watch Next Week

Monday brings the reopening of the Bois de la Cambre swimming lake after a ten-day closure triggered by elevated blue-green algae levels. Brussels Environment will publish daily water quality readings on its website from July 7 onward. Families planning to use the lake should check the readings before travelling; last summer a similar closure stretched to three weeks.

The Tour de Wallonie cycling race passes through the southern edge of Brussels on July 8, with the route cutting through Forest and Uccle before crossing into Waterloo. The city has warned drivers to expect road closures on Chaussée de Waterloo between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Residents along the route can apply for a temporary exemption permit through the Brussels Mobility portal until July 6.

The Regional Parliament session on July 9 will also take up a proposed €4.2 million supplementary budget for emergency heat resilience measures, including misting stations and expanded night shelters. The vote is expected to be close, with the MR group signalling it may demand amendments before supporting the package.