Brussels' European Quarter seeks to lessen 'brutal' urban footprint

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The main European institutions have been based in Brussels for decades. But despite adding dynamism, they still don't seem to have found their place in the city they call home. The European Quarter is often viewed as a separate area; cold and cut off from the world. Now a handful of residents are fighting to bring the neighbourhood back to life and make the institutions part of a vibrant Brussels that's in touch with its citizens. The rise of teleworking, adapted en masse since the pandemic, could give them a helping hand. The Commission is looking to reduce its office space in the city from the current 780,000 m² to 580,000 m². Our correspondents report.