Louvain-la-Neuve Masterplan proposal

Historical, political or economic context in which the plan/project is proposed

The new town of Louvain- la-Neuve is the result of the governmental decision to separate Belgium into two areas, one FlemishSpeaking and one French-speaking, in the 1960s. Consequently, a new French section of the bilingual Catholic University of Louvain (1425) had to be founded: the University town of Louvain-la-Neuve. Gruen’s project remained partially unbuilt, while the Urbanisme-Architecture (UA) team took charge of the final masterplan.

Bibliography

Gruen V., Centres for the Urban Environment. Survival of the Cities. New York: V.N.R. Company, 1973.

Hardwick, M.J., Mall Maker – Victor Gruen, Architect of an American Dream. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Zuccaro Marchi, L., The Heart of the City. Legacy and Complexity of a Modern Design Idea. London: Routledge, 2018.