What should also be said is that Belgium, upon its separation from the Netherlands in 1831, was the second country in the world to be industrialized (after the UK). with coal mines, steel, glass factories, it became extremely wealthy *loooooong* before King Leopold II decided to exploit the Congo for its natural resources.
True, many of the nice houses shown in video were constructed by wealthy industrials. The money was made elsewhere in the country but it was definitely being spent in Brussels.
@@kameosniper The municipalities existed before the split into regions, no? In Belgium the municipalities play a major role in assigning the building permits. Belgium doesn't have the best track record in that regard. So yes, it happened before the split, the problem is that Brussels was never really merged into a city with a central government like, f.i., Paris.
It probably didn't help, but I think a major factor was also that important decisions about Brussels were usually made on the national level, by politicians who didn't live in Brussels. That's changed quite a bit since the creation of the Brussels Capital Region in 1989, that now makes the big decisions about mobility and urbanism.
The key factor, in my view, is that neither the Flemish nor the Walloons had a strong attachment to Brussels. For them, it was merely an administrative city, with limited cultural or emotional connection. Economically, there wasn’t significant investment in the city either. Without the European Union’s presence, it’s hard to imagine what Brussels would have become.
@@azRomanEmpire1 For all I care, both EU and NATO HQ can get out of there, they are a burden to the city! Sadly, Germans oppose France because it's too French for them, and French oppose Germany because it's too german for them so the sacred middle is Belgium, a country where they speak French as well as Dutch. Give it to Luxemburg, far less traffic, far less disruption.
I live in Brussels for 50 years and was born there. I agree that, from a tourist's perspective, at first glance, it's not a sexy capital. There is nothing that seems typical. It's all over the place. True. But when you live there or stay there for a little while, the city grows on you. And the fact that there is nothing typical IS what's makes it typical. Indeed, there is no clear distinction between classes there (except in a few communes like Uccle) and poor houses/people can be in the same street than wealthy ones. Because of that, Brussels is very cosmopolitan and if you go to restaurants or bars or art galeries, most of the time, all people mix up together with no particular class distinctions. Each and every street can potentially have an art gallery or a museum of some sort. You never know if you won't find a park or a skate ramp just around the street you are in. Brussels is a candy jar and you never know what to expect next. This apparent heterogeneity is what makes Brussels very homogeneous. And the more you stay there, the more you feel it. Many Belgian people don't like Brussels and will say it's an ugly place but most often than not, those who say that actually don't like the fact that Brussels is cosmopolitan and would prefer the place to be exclusively white and catholic with neat distinctions between classes. I love it the way it is. It could be cleaner (it's an issue) but otherwise, it's a great place and most foreigners I know who came here to study ended up staying there as they fell in love with the place.
Tout comme vous je suis né a Bruxelles il y a un peu plus de 50 ans. Je vis en dehors depuis 30 ans et il faudrait me payer cher pour y retourner vivre, mais j'y vais encore chaque jour pour travailler. Cette ville est moche, sale, pue et est d'une dangerosité extrême quand on essaie de s'y déplacer en raison de transport en commun totalement inefficaces, de règles de circulation totalement débiles et du manque de respect de tous. Chaque jour quand je vois des touristes visiter le centre ville, j'ai honte quand je pense aux distances qu'ils ne parcourues pour voir ce qu'on leur offre a voir...
you didn´t talk at all about how the "Brusselisation" actually kickstarted laws to protect old buildings and started building regulations. Brussels being first city to actually implement building preservation and building laws to preserve old city.. This all started ot brussels and then went around the world!
And Brussels is the first city to be so corrupted and scammed by real estate lobbying to destroy all its listed buildings. As a Brussels resident, one can discern mayors driven by greed, pursuing disastrous and short-sighted projects with an eye on the upcoming elections.
I must address your statement as fundamentally flawed. To clarify, in the early 1990s-remarkably late by European standards-Brussels enacted a set of laws purportedly designed to restrict the demolition of buildings with architectural or historical significance. These measures were not only insufficient but embarrassingly feeble compared to the robust frameworks established in other countries. By 1999, the city’s urban development plan deemed high-rise buildings "architecturally incompatible" with the aesthetics of the city center-a move that, while symbolically important, came far too late to undo decades of rampant destruction. Contrast this with other historic cities in Europe-Rome, Paris, Milan-where hights of buildings have long been regulamented in their historic cores. Even today in Brussels, developers are systematically erasing 19th-century architectural gems, such as those around De Brouckère Square, with barely a murmur of protest. There is no public outcry, no significant coverage-an eerie silence surrounds the relentless dismantling of the city’s heritage. This illustrates the utter inefficacy of the so-called "heritage protections" in Brussels. To underscore this point, consider Italy’s unparalleled commitment to preserving its cultural and architectural heritage. For centuries, Italy has implemented pioneering measures to safeguard its patrimony. As early as the 15th century, papal edicts sought to protect ancient structures, inspiring similar efforts across the Italian states. In 1820, the Pacca Edict-a landmark piece of legislation-was introduced to counter the widespread plunder of heritage during the Napoleonic era. By 1909, Italy had codified a comprehensive law for the preservation of monuments, followed by the 1939 enactment of two additional laws that solidified these protections. The 1948 antifascist Italian Constitution elevated the protection of cultural and artistic patrimony to a constitutional principle, ensuring that buildings over 50 years old could not be demolished. Finally, in 2004, the "Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape" provided a thoroughly modernized and cohesive framework for preserving Italy’s treasures. These legislative milestones highlight the staggering disparity between Italy’s proactive and pioneering approach and the reactive, belated, and ultimately ineffective efforts in Belgium. Far from heralding a new era of preservation, "Brusselization" left a legacy of irreparable loss and serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when heritage is left unprotected. So no, Brusselization did not bring anything good-it stands as a stark reminder of negligence, and its consequences echo to this day.
@@gregcarbonimaestri I did not say that it was effecient or that it worked in brussels :D Just that it started there :D Else yeah brussels is an utter mess but it always has been that way lol. Ive lived there for 5 years and visited it again and again and had family several generations who lived there and yeah brussels always was and probably always will be a city that keeps evolving and changing, its an mess architecturally but also culturally and administratively.. thats Belgium after all 😂 as for other cities lets not forget Le Corbusier wanted to raise all of Paris city center for his Urban dream of a city ^^ so its definitly not like they didn´t think about doing same to Paris and other cities ahah xD They definitly did
you're so wrong. Brusselisation happened and will happen again. Belgians have absolutely no good taste in architecture. No protest whatsoever when a new brutalist concrete block replaces a beautiful 18th century farm. Only 'yays, I love modernity!'. In contrast, France already had conservation policies in the 19th century about old buildings, and the French are always ready to fight if something ugly ever was to be built. The Tour Montparnasse is a great example. The French hated it, it was never done again. Nowadays, the Rue de la loi/Wetstraat, which is an important government and embassies avenue in Brussels, which used to be full of magnificient glorious buildings, is almost only made of those high glass 'Tour Montparnasse' skyscrapers. Same goes with every main street in Brussels. Rue Belliard. Gare du Nord. Gare du Midi. Gare du Luxembourg. Gare Schuman. Basically everything. And it keeps on getting worse. The sky has become invisible to the walker or the wanderer, considering how high the new buildings are, and narrow the streets. And if only those new building were decent to look at... a real nightmare for everybody: the car users also are having it bad. Most tunnels are always closed. places to park are nowhere or extremely expensive; traffic lights every 100 meters on all avenues, restriction to 30 km/h. the only barely satisfied may be the cyclists, and I'm not even sure.
I live since 2006 in Brussels and indeed the first year i hated it. But the love came in the second year and i live here ever since. Brussels is a city wich is for a Northern European too southern and for a Southern European too nordic. Its a town on the crossroads of Germanic and Romansc speaking Europe. In the summer it can feel like a mediterranean city, in Autumn it feels like London, on a grey winterday it feels like an old rundown Eastern European town and in the spring it feels like Paris or Berlin. It definitely made some urban mistakes but it also learnt from its mistakes. Downtown Brussels has the largest pedestrian area of Europe for example. Unlike other capitals in Europe, poor and rich live on relatively close proximity. its not uncommon to see Roma beggers while a luxurious car drives next to it. The city has many issues and challenges but i love it multicultural populations, 60% of the people have a parent from another country, only Dubai scores higher. Even after 18 years living here i still discover new places and people. No no i would not want to live in another place! Bruxelles ma belle!
I love Brussels because of it's overall homogeneity, unlike cities like London and Paris, where sleek affluent neighborhoods sharply contrast with social housing areas, Brussels' posh and poorer areas are often blurred. This blend leads to vastly different social classes coexisting on the same streets. This makes the city feel authentically lived-in rather than carefully curated. And other cities don't have waffle vans so yeah, we're the real winners here!
Homogeneity? As a Belgian citizen you automatically feel unwelcome and transported into a third world country when entering the outskirts of Brussels...
@FelixalPorto I actually had this discussion with a friend, our conclusion : both arguments can be put forward and are valid. If you look at a single street, all buildings will be very different (supporting what you put forward) but when you look at the city as a whole, it is very homogeneous, there are few areas that look distinct from others. For example Paris will be the polar opposite it looks very homogeneous from up close because all buildings are pretty much identical in architecture in a district but from afar, it could be argued that the city is very heterogeneous because each district has it’s specific architecture that differs vastly from others.
Beautifully explained, that's exactly how I feel! I live in Brussels and love this city. It feels so authentic! Isn't it just so weird that St Josse, the poorest commune in Belgium, is only a five minute walk from Ambiorix which is one of Brussels' poshest areas? Unusual to say the least.
Small error: the cinquantenaire park and buildings were mostly completed in 1880, whereas the Independant Congo State was established in 1885, so aside from the expansion of the single arch into 3 arches in 1905, no money from Congolese profits was used for its construction
Also how he shows the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which wasn't completed until 1970. King Leo put his signature under a lot of projects, but it was overwhelmingly paid for by the state.
Yea our city is a huge patchwork of pretty much anything. I currently live in Anderlecht, it's incredibly evident here. Anderlecht is a "poor" municipality, but it too has an area with huge villas and swimming pools. And very interestingly, that area sits right across the Peterbos, the infamous social housing complex which is considered the most dangerous place in Belgium, and both are even connected by a pedestrian bridge. To any urban explorer, i recommend walking along the Rue de Veeweyde. In less than 1km, you'll see all the contrasts, starting from the lower part : - Large ugly road (Chaussée de Mons) with high-rise appartment blocks dating from the 60's and 70's - Small and charming working class single-family houses, with here and there a larger appartment block or a big store - Magnificent Art Deco houses and villas - Again working class houses in front of a modern-looking school building - A popular neighborhood with snacks, small shops and social facilities, plus an old movie theatre turned into a theatre - And finally the historic heart of the municipality (Place de la Vaillance) with beautiful ancient buildings dominated by a medieval church. It's like you can see everything Brussels has to offer in less than 10 minutes.
Fair point covering the architectural mismatches of the past but not talking about Art Nouveau when covering the place where it was born, is also an architectural crime.
Fun fact: there are projects to open up the Senne again, however, they don't know where the river is actually supposed to flow. So they first have to know what to open up! Edit: confused rivers, thx for the correction!
I've been to Brussels several times, and I still can't quite grasp the city's layout and structure. I always end up getting lost in this urban jungle, but that's exactly what makes Brussels so special. Each time I visit, I discover new facets of the city. It's truly one of a kind.
You forgot to mention the construction of the underground north south railway cutting through the old city. To be fair, a lot has improved in Brussels in the last few decades. Much more walkable less dirty and noise than I remembered from the 80ties. Like Berlin, Brussels has this raw and ugly side which can be very attractive from a historical perspective.
Although native to the Mediterranean region with other cabbage species, Brussels sprouts first appeared in northern Europe during the 5th century; they were later cultivated in the 13th century near Brussels, Belgium, from which their name derives.
Very interesting! Interesting addition could be the corruption in the second part of the 20th century. Developers like Paul Vanden Boeynants majorly disrupted city planning and mostly did this for personal gain and power. There was a lot of money to be made in deals between the city government (one of the many governments that is) and project developers.
Love your video! I’m Belgian, and Brussels is undeniably my favorite city. Yet, it takes time to fully grasp its depth and richness. Every street feels like entering a new world. For example, I recently discovered the Romanian community in Brussels, which numbers nearly 50,000 people. The city center is a vibrant mix of cultures-some neighborhoods have a distinctly Belgian feel, while others are African, Arab, or Eastern European. I love these contrasts and the diversity they bring; it feels like you can find anything here. This, even after gentrification has made its mark on many areas. Almost all the major monuments in Brussels are rooted in the exploitation and deaths of millions of Congolese. The idea of removing the statues of Léopold II is gradually gaining traction. They were already took off in the Flemish cities.
This is just my opinion based on what I’ve read. Some Flemish cities, like Ghent, are known for being quite progressive. But in a city like Antwerp, where the mayor is a Flemish nationalist, the colonial crime era is often seen more as something done by French-speaking Belgians. Leopold II, in particular, was very harsh towards the early Flemish movement.
"Almost all the major monuments in Brussels are rooted in the exploitation and deaths of millions of Congolese." That's such a stretch that's it's simply untrue.
I was born in Schaerbeek. I'm upper middle class. I bought a house in Schaerbeek to live with my family and 2 kids and our cargo bike. We live in a street with a lot of lower-class Turkish/Arab people → apparently that's "gentrification" :-( what am i to blame for ?
Love ur vid man. I'd say even though Brussels has known lots of transformations throughout its history its what makes it beautiful. You go from one place to another that's radically different. I like it.
As someone from Brussels, I really enjoyed your video, great job! However, I think it’s a shame you didn’t mention the incredible abundance of Art Nouveau architecture. This style, which flourished between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is such an important part of Brussels’ identity.
One really star example of brusselization is the boulevards that cut across the city center from north station to south station. It comes from when they bulldozed everything to dig a tunnel to join the two stations by rail (they used to be disconnected). If you happen to go from the grand place to the royal palace go example, you will go from 17th century buildings to ugly 1960s offices to 18th and 19th century palaces
Great content! I'm grateful for the UA-cam algorithm recommending this to me :) I loved Brussels the moment I moved here 8 years ago, but grown to love it even more seeing how much the city has improved over the years (bike lanes! pedestrian zones!). I'm finishing a video about Brussels as well, talking about the Senne and wastewater monitoring.
This seems to be a different take on Brusselisation that I understand. True that Anspach demolished the original medieval outlook to create huge boulevards, to emulate Paris. But, the real Brussselisation started in the 60s through to the 90s, when Brussels politicians gave (still do) lucrative construction works to friends and family, resulting in haphazard and ill conceived buildings, not just chaotic but also very unsafe. It’s normal to see modern buildings with medieval buildings throughout the world. That is not Brusselisation. Brusselisation is the complete absence of urban planning, leading to a dysfunctional city management and space.
There's an other example of the bruxellisation, it's the demolition of the " maison du peuple " (wikipedia is your friend here) build by Horta and destroyed to put a discu*** building.
You got one thing completely wrong: Belgium was one of the most rich and wealthy country way before Congo. Wallonia was the third richest region in the world. What Leopold II built is not thanks to Congo. Belgium had the money already.
You didn't mention the most Brusselization project of them all, the north-south rail tunnel that cut up much of medieval Brussels in the city center and around the cathedral. Probably one of the most visible scars in the city!
i fucking love the vibes of this city, empty skyscrapers next to wasteland building slots, it's like the bronx from the 70s crashed down in the middle of Manhattan. Can't get more neon noir than this city. I hope they just keep expanding and fucking up more. Rats the size of, well rather big rats, trash bags that pile up to the second storey, the neon of the red light districts reflecting in piss puddles, immigrants trying to hustle you with dice tricks, every ped trying to sell you something, scaffolding that's so old that it has become Unesco's world heritage... For me Brussels is a modern day Ankh Morpok I'm very proud of my city, its beautiful ugliness, the fragrant stench, the mysterious alleys. If you don't like it, piss off. Leave it to the degenerates like me.
First of all, the Justitiepaleis (Palace of Justice) is an awe-inspiring building. You need to see in person to appreciate its astounding size. Second, why show a map of the Low Countries in 1802 when discussing Leopold II? That map does not reflect the shape of Belgium under Leopold II in any way. Or is this a case of trying to increase engagement, like how some youtube video creators deliberately misspell or mispronounce words?
This video is only a very small part, and it seems like he's more condemning our past (and indeed, the human zoo isn't something to be proud of, but it isn't relevant), than giving the true reasons why Brussels looks 'weird'.
it is quite funny to the appartement of myself and that of my brother in this video ... we see it in the video at 2m19s .... it two houses on the right of the recently renovated house in the middle [ white and grey ] .. 2nd floor is mine [ partly covered by the tree ] and the 3rd floor clearly visible is my brithers one .... this house was constructed at the end of the 19th century and the architect was a pupil of architect horta
Thank you for the superb video. I visited Brussels for the first time in the early '70s, and I found its rampant redevelopment off-putting. The towns and cities beyond the borders of Brussels, however, seduced and mesmerised me. Sadly, in the following decades, Belgians have embraced the "Los Angelisation" of their country--ubiquitous roads, strip development, and urban sprawl. Although some lovely cities remain, the country teems with a messiness and dumpiness in which I despaIr.
The first weeks Belgium is so chaotic, not just Brussels, it gives you a headache, but after a while it is addictive, around every corner in Belgium there is a surprise waiting for you.
I actually like the contrast in building types, but, I will say, destroying historic buildings is a no-no, especially whe you're taking away a prettier, more ornate building for an pretty objectively blander one.
Hah I was looking out the window from my office tower in the centre of Brussels last week when I noticed a drone flying...and now UA-cam recommends this. I wonder if that was you filming! What are the chances?
As a real Brusseler, I love my city with all its flaws. It might not be the prettiest still it has a bog place in my hard as it is thriving with cultures from all over the world.
I'm Belgian. I live in Antwerp. I never feel comfortable in Brussels. It can't be the worst city in the world , but it feels distopian. I could never connect to it. Yeah, that's it - it's a disconnected place.
Thanks for the visibility. Brussels is a weird underdog of Europe’s capitals. But what makes it so special as well is its people. Everything is pretty low key, rich and poor alike, and it’s not unusual to meet interesting people who are totally open to talk to you through the entire night. It does offer the perks of a big city with loads of things to do without it becoming that gigantic thing as Paris or London do have. You also very much live in your neighborhood and it tends to have the feeling of a village community. Even Molenbeek, which has the reputation to be one of the worst places, is growing in me. But God how did they manage to make such ugly buildings, every time I walk back home I tell myself one must have some type of evil talent to be so good at ugly lol
No normal human being can feel comfortable between all these dystopian, depressing, concrete staples looking like dog kennels. What possessed mankind to start building these monsters and do away with everything that reminded us that we are human. Beauty, style, authenticity, character, craft, serenity.. all of what the older buildings reflect : gone.
This is interesting. Though I would argue with contrasting Place Morichar, which is an example of excellent public space, with the De Brouckère area. - It's fairly misleading. One definitely didn't replace the other, and they are in different neighbourhoods (and communes, for that matter).
@@caiusheh the video implies that human zoos and brusselization are linked, but since human zoos were also present in paris, london and berlin and these cities do not show brusselization it is hard to make the connection. Let alone causation. I do not imply that human zoos are not a grusome fact in history and it should be discussed but it has no place in a video about brusselization.
@@mathijsgeerts2464 it is integral to the projection of power that Belgium was performing to emulate the other powers. So it was, in the same way human zoos were a part of parisization in Paris, londonization in London or berlinization in Berlin, whatever those were in detail. It is a part of colonial history, which is part of how Europe got built
@@mathijsgeerts2464 well we Belgians have a pretty rotten habit of downplaying our colonial heritage, so personally, I'm okay with tipping the scales the other way from time to time
I noticed you translated “sous-humaines” to “human sous”, but its french for “subhumans”. Dont know if you got that and decided not to put it in but if you missed it thats what it means. 5:29
Between 1810 and 1880, Belgium was the second industrial power in the world, behind the United Kingdom, before 1885 After 1885 Leopold II was presented as responsible for the real or supposed violence in the Congo by the Anglo-Saxon press. Today neither child labor in coltanni mines nor deaths by the millions in Congo are on the front pages of the media
@@Jejrnfifinrnrnfj The violence is not denied, it is the reliability of the press and its taste for sensationalism which is criticized. Press that ignores what is happening today
@@Jejrnfifinrnrnfj Firstly he's not denying what happened in Congo, he's just stating that even at the time some people were reporting on what was happening there and that today we don't see such articles anymore (or at least very little of it). What happened in Congo was truly inhuman and I agree that Belgium should support the country more since the state should be responsible for the acts of the king at the time (I am belgian btw). But coming to people and being agressive is not going to gain you traction to convince them, you're just going to exacerbate tensions and cause unrest.
Whoever calls Brussels ugly has never been to Eastern Europe, let alone Africa, India, South America etc. Brussels is one of the most beautiful cities on Earth, although lags behind cities like Prague, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome etc.
Another problem is the Brussels ring road design. Anyone that needs to go East-West or North-South has to deal with Brussels ring, which is already under pressure from people commuting to work in Brussels.
To me as a Belgian from Flanders it’s just a Belgian/ Flanders’s thing. We love doing everything we want on our own plot of land. In 1 street you can often see a house and next to it a building that looks like the box the house arrived in. We even have instagram pages and little toilet books with collections of pictures of Belgiums ugliest houses or Belgiums worst combinations of houses next to each other. I remember going to the Netherlands as a kid and asking my parents why the Dutch are all so poor that they need to live in social housing. To me all the exact same houses next to each other in one neighbourhood looked like social housing we have in Belgium for people who desperately need a home. As a child it was kind of explained to me like that so when visiting the Netherlands it was like damn, the Dutch are very poor.😂 Idk I kind of like the kakafonie of it all😂. I wouldn’t want to work so hard to own a house and then not be allowed to do whatever the f I want to do with it. I also find neighbourhoods with the exact same buildings kind of creepy, it’s like a maze where everything looks the same without any point to recognise. You could spend hours walking in circles without knowing it😬🫣.
Honestly i don't really care if different parts of a city have a mismatched style of architecture between them as long as the shift is subtle and the contrast isn't visible with a single glance in a majority of the streets. Yeah, Brussels might have very modern looking office buildings with sleek looking glass facades in one district but that's just *one architecturally cohesive district* which doesn't take away from the other architectural styles in other parts of the city.
In the 1970s, Brussels embarked on an ambitious urban redevelopment known as the "Manhattan Project," aiming to transform the Northern Quarter into a modern business district reminiscent of New York's Manhattan. This initiative involved the demolition of approximately 53 hectares of a working-class neighborhood, displacing over 15,000 residents. However, an economic downturn shortly thereafter led to a significant slowdown in construction, leaving the area with numerous vacant lots and unfinished buildings, contributing to a sense of neglect and underutilization.
I consider that Brussels has a "grunge" or "urban goth" aesthetic that is kinda charming. However, this is no excuse for the abundance of unfinished construction projects and the omnipresence of homeless campsites scattered all over the city.
Yeah, but who ever goes to the EU area or the Northern part of town? The rest is eclectic and chewy. Last week, counted seventeen different kinds of architecture on a single block, and all of them well done.
@@bernd_das_brot6911 In the EU quarter? It's all office buildings. In the North, sure, but it's a small part of town. Parts of just about any town are ugly.
@ idk where you are from but in my country most normal cities have a beautiful inner city. No shitty office buildings until you get out of the main part.
I lived next to the EU quarters last year. I wanted to kill myself. I left this city altogether and went to the Walloon Brabant. I had enough of the ugliness and the people there.
@@bernd_das_brot6911 Actually, the European Parliament isn’t located in the inner city or main part of Brussels. It’s in the European Quarter, a separate administrative district east of the historic city center.
Note that just about every city, in fact nearly every street in Belgium is a mish mash - big and small houses, old and new, ugly and beautiful, classic and modern, cheap and expensive, in great state or in ruin, all side by side.
No but they had horse carts. You should take a look at 19th century pictures. The chaos of hundreds of pedestrians and carts all mingling because traffic rules were very vague in those days.
This is by far the best video on the subject !!! I also like that you showed the beautiful cozy streets you can find in Brussels, not only ugly modern buildings
As someone born in Brussels and having always lived here I never noticed it could be something seen as special or uncharming! I always thought it was perfectly normal for some buildings to be so different, and I kinda think it has its charm !
I always found this rhetoric pretty weird tbh. While Brussels might've looked rly modern in the 60s, nowadays many european cities are much more eclectic in style than Brussels, just look at British cities or Dutch cities and in fact Brussels' modern buildings are really just contained to a few key spots in the center and around the train stations. When it comes to the 19th century expansions it's also not uncommon. Paris demolished almost all of its pre-19th century buildings and now looks extremely uniform, personally I actually really like the variety in Brussels where you can see 16th century to 21st century buildings all within less than a kilometer radius.
Because it became French overtime wich was the first problem and then to top it off it became the "Capitol of the eu". No more brusseleirs in Brussels so the identity and culture is completely gone. It's just a part of the globo-shlomo culture like every other city. Paris, London or Brussels is exactly the same...
Dont worry bro.. we don’t really care what a smart ass usa guy thinks of our city… we love it as it is…. No need to put everything under the magnifying hysterical glass of OCD 😂😂😂😂😂😂 ♥️🇧🇪
Keep in mind that San Francisco is collapsing due (but not only) to the desire of the city to keep it's low density of population aspect. That central London and Paris are simply unaffordable etc...Tough balance!
As someone living in Brussels, it is also sadly becoming unaffordable. Nowadays, one decent room (not even a studio) is starting at 700 EUR. Basic very small (9 m2) student rooms are starting at 450-500 EUR.
Ok, look, colonisation was pretty bad, and awful stuff did happen in Congo, but I have to pushback on what you said because there is a lot, and I mean A LOT, of misinformation regarding our colonial past that's been fueled by propaganda, anti-colonialist guilt, and one book full of pure fabrication. And no, there were no human zoos. There were exhibitions where Congolese people willingly came to showcase how life was for them back there. Poor taste? Maybe. Zoo? Hell no.
What should also be said is that Belgium, upon its separation from the Netherlands in 1831, was the second country in the world to be industrialized (after the UK). with coal mines, steel, glass factories, it became extremely wealthy *loooooong* before King Leopold II decided to exploit the Congo for its natural resources.
True, many of the nice houses shown in video were constructed by wealthy industrials. The money was made elsewhere in the country but it was definitely being spent in Brussels.
@@archilieven And now the French socialists destroyed it on all aspects
so?
second country with railways as well
The fact that Brussels has 19 mayors and 19 counsils didn't help either.
It has in fact litteraly nothing to do with it, the damage was done long before the creation of the region and it's shared structure
@@kameosniper The municipalities existed before the split into regions, no? In Belgium the municipalities play a major role in assigning the building permits. Belgium doesn't have the best track record in that regard. So yes, it happened before the split, the problem is that Brussels was never really merged into a city with a central government like, f.i., Paris.
It probably didn't help, but I think a major factor was also that important decisions about Brussels were usually made on the national level, by politicians who didn't live in Brussels. That's changed quite a bit since the creation of the Brussels Capital Region in 1989, that now makes the big decisions about mobility and urbanism.
The key factor, in my view, is that neither the Flemish nor the Walloons had a strong attachment to Brussels. For them, it was merely an administrative city, with limited cultural or emotional connection. Economically, there wasn’t significant investment in the city either. Without the European Union’s presence, it’s hard to imagine what Brussels would have become.
@@azRomanEmpire1 For all I care, both EU and NATO HQ can get out of there, they are a burden to the city!
Sadly, Germans oppose France because it's too French for them, and French oppose Germany because it's too german for them so the sacred middle is Belgium, a country where they speak French as well as Dutch. Give it to Luxemburg, far less traffic, far less disruption.
I live in Brussels for 50 years and was born there.
I agree that, from a tourist's perspective, at first glance, it's not a sexy capital. There is nothing that seems typical. It's all over the place. True.
But when you live there or stay there for a little while, the city grows on you. And the fact that there is nothing typical IS what's makes it typical.
Indeed, there is no clear distinction between classes there (except in a few communes like Uccle) and poor houses/people can be in the same street than wealthy ones.
Because of that, Brussels is very cosmopolitan and if you go to restaurants or bars or art galeries, most of the time, all people mix up together with no particular class distinctions.
Each and every street can potentially have an art gallery or a museum of some sort. You never know if you won't find a park or a skate ramp just around the street you are in. Brussels is a candy jar and you never know what to expect next.
This apparent heterogeneity is what makes Brussels very homogeneous. And the more you stay there, the more you feel it.
Many Belgian people don't like Brussels and will say it's an ugly place but most often than not, those who say that actually don't like the fact that Brussels is cosmopolitan and would prefer the place to be exclusively white and catholic with neat distinctions between classes.
I love it the way it is. It could be cleaner (it's an issue) but otherwise, it's a great place and most foreigners I know who came here to study ended up staying there as they fell in love with the place.
Tout comme vous je suis né a Bruxelles il y a un peu plus de 50 ans. Je vis en dehors depuis 30 ans et il faudrait me payer cher pour y retourner vivre, mais j'y vais encore chaque jour pour travailler.
Cette ville est moche, sale, pue et est d'une dangerosité extrême quand on essaie de s'y déplacer en raison de transport en commun totalement inefficaces, de règles de circulation totalement débiles et du manque de respect de tous.
Chaque jour quand je vois des touristes visiter le centre ville, j'ai honte quand je pense aux distances qu'ils ne parcourues pour voir ce qu'on leur offre a voir...
you didn´t talk at all about how the "Brusselisation" actually kickstarted laws to protect old buildings and started building regulations. Brussels being first city to actually implement building preservation and building laws to preserve old city.. This all started ot brussels and then went around the world!
And Brussels is the first city to be so corrupted and scammed by real estate lobbying to destroy all its listed buildings. As a Brussels resident, one can discern mayors driven by greed, pursuing disastrous and short-sighted projects with an eye on the upcoming elections.
I must address your statement as fundamentally flawed. To clarify, in the early 1990s-remarkably late by European standards-Brussels enacted a set of laws purportedly designed to restrict the demolition of buildings with architectural or historical significance. These measures were not only insufficient but embarrassingly feeble compared to the robust frameworks established in other countries. By 1999, the city’s urban development plan deemed high-rise buildings "architecturally incompatible" with the aesthetics of the city center-a move that, while symbolically important, came far too late to undo decades of rampant destruction.
Contrast this with other historic cities in Europe-Rome, Paris, Milan-where hights of buildings have long been regulamented in their historic cores. Even today in Brussels, developers are systematically erasing 19th-century architectural gems, such as those around De Brouckère Square, with barely a murmur of protest. There is no public outcry, no significant coverage-an eerie silence surrounds the relentless dismantling of the city’s heritage. This illustrates the utter inefficacy of the so-called "heritage protections" in Brussels.
To underscore this point, consider Italy’s unparalleled commitment to preserving its cultural and architectural heritage. For centuries, Italy has implemented pioneering measures to safeguard its patrimony. As early as the 15th century, papal edicts sought to protect ancient structures, inspiring similar efforts across the Italian states. In 1820, the Pacca Edict-a landmark piece of legislation-was introduced to counter the widespread plunder of heritage during the Napoleonic era. By 1909, Italy had codified a comprehensive law for the preservation of monuments, followed by the 1939 enactment of two additional laws that solidified these protections.
The 1948 antifascist Italian Constitution elevated the protection of cultural and artistic patrimony to a constitutional principle, ensuring that buildings over 50 years old could not be demolished. Finally, in 2004, the "Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape" provided a thoroughly modernized and cohesive framework for preserving Italy’s treasures.
These legislative milestones highlight the staggering disparity between Italy’s proactive and pioneering approach and the reactive, belated, and ultimately ineffective efforts in Belgium. Far from heralding a new era of preservation, "Brusselization" left a legacy of irreparable loss and serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when heritage is left unprotected.
So no, Brusselization did not bring anything good-it stands as a stark reminder of negligence, and its consequences echo to this day.
@@gregcarbonimaestri I did not say that it was effecient or that it worked in brussels :D Just that it started there :D
Else yeah brussels is an utter mess but it always has been that way lol. Ive lived there for 5 years and visited it again and again and had family several generations who lived there and yeah brussels always was and probably always will be a city that keeps evolving and changing, its an mess architecturally but also culturally and administratively.. thats Belgium after all 😂
as for other cities lets not forget Le Corbusier wanted to raise all of Paris city center for his Urban dream of a city ^^ so its definitly not like they didn´t think about doing same to Paris and other cities ahah xD They definitly did
@@gregcarbonimaestri But I may definitly also be wrong :D
you're so wrong. Brusselisation happened and will happen again. Belgians have absolutely no good taste in architecture. No protest whatsoever when a new brutalist concrete block replaces a beautiful 18th century farm. Only 'yays, I love modernity!'. In contrast, France already had conservation policies in the 19th century about old buildings, and the French are always ready to fight if something ugly ever was to be built. The Tour Montparnasse is a great example. The French hated it, it was never done again. Nowadays, the Rue de la loi/Wetstraat, which is an important government and embassies avenue in Brussels, which used to be full of magnificient glorious buildings, is almost only made of those high glass 'Tour Montparnasse' skyscrapers. Same goes with every main street in Brussels. Rue Belliard. Gare du Nord. Gare du Midi. Gare du Luxembourg. Gare Schuman. Basically everything. And it keeps on getting worse. The sky has become invisible to the walker or the wanderer, considering how high the new buildings are, and narrow the streets. And if only those new building were decent to look at... a real nightmare for everybody: the car users also are having it bad. Most tunnels are always closed. places to park are nowhere or extremely expensive; traffic lights every 100 meters on all avenues, restriction to 30 km/h. the only barely satisfied may be the cyclists, and I'm not even sure.
I live since 2006 in Brussels and indeed the first year i hated it. But the love came in the second year and i live here ever since. Brussels is a city wich is for a Northern European too southern and for a Southern European too nordic. Its a town on the crossroads of Germanic and Romansc speaking Europe. In the summer it can feel like a mediterranean city, in Autumn it feels like London, on a grey winterday it feels like an old rundown Eastern European town and in the spring it feels like Paris or Berlin. It definitely made some urban mistakes but it also learnt from its mistakes. Downtown Brussels has the largest pedestrian area of Europe for example. Unlike other capitals in Europe, poor and rich live on relatively close proximity. its not uncommon to see Roma beggers while a luxurious car drives next to it. The city has many issues and challenges but i love it multicultural populations, 60% of the people have a parent from another country, only Dubai scores higher. Even after 18 years living here i still discover new places and people. No no i would not want to live in another place! Bruxelles ma belle!
Aaah, yes. The great European cities of London, Paris, Berlin and... Eastern Europe.
@@Killjoy_Melwhat i wanted to say, you love it or hate it. Thats it
it feels kinda like every european city put together
Gone Machado approuve
Would you say it's less safe than other capitals? I'm supposed to live there for traineeship next year and I hear constant horror stories
I love Brussels because of it's overall homogeneity, unlike cities like London and Paris, where sleek affluent neighborhoods sharply contrast with social housing areas, Brussels' posh and poorer areas are often blurred. This blend leads to vastly different social classes coexisting on the same streets. This makes the city feel authentically lived-in rather than carefully curated.
And other cities don't have waffle vans so yeah, we're the real winners here!
Homogeneity? As a Belgian citizen you automatically feel unwelcome and transported into a third world country when entering the outskirts of Brussels...
Heterogeneity you mean?
@FelixalPorto I actually had this discussion with a friend, our conclusion : both arguments can be put forward and are valid. If you look at a single street, all buildings will be very different (supporting what you put forward) but when you look at the city as a whole, it is very homogeneous, there are few areas that look distinct from others.
For example Paris will be the polar opposite it looks very homogeneous from up close because all buildings are pretty much identical in architecture in a district but from afar, it could be argued that the city is very heterogeneous because each district has it’s specific architecture that differs vastly from others.
Beautifully explained, that's exactly how I feel! I live in Brussels and love this city. It feels so authentic! Isn't it just so weird that St Josse, the poorest commune in Belgium, is only a five minute walk from Ambiorix which is one of Brussels' poshest areas? Unusual to say the least.
True, but on the other hand west of Midi is really another world. In my experience East and West don't mingle a lot.
Small error: the cinquantenaire park and buildings were mostly completed in 1880, whereas the Independant Congo State was established in 1885, so aside from the expansion of the single arch into 3 arches in 1905, no money from Congolese profits was used for its construction
Also how he shows the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which wasn't completed until 1970. King Leo put his signature under a lot of projects, but it was overwhelmingly paid for by the state.
Yea our city is a huge patchwork of pretty much anything. I currently live in Anderlecht, it's incredibly evident here. Anderlecht is a "poor" municipality, but it too has an area with huge villas and swimming pools. And very interestingly, that area sits right across the Peterbos, the infamous social housing complex which is considered the most dangerous place in Belgium, and both are even connected by a pedestrian bridge.
To any urban explorer, i recommend walking along the Rue de Veeweyde. In less than 1km, you'll see all the contrasts, starting from the lower part :
- Large ugly road (Chaussée de Mons) with high-rise appartment blocks dating from the 60's and 70's
- Small and charming working class single-family houses, with here and there a larger appartment block or a big store
- Magnificent Art Deco houses and villas
- Again working class houses in front of a modern-looking school building
- A popular neighborhood with snacks, small shops and social facilities, plus an old movie theatre turned into a theatre
- And finally the historic heart of the municipality (Place de la Vaillance) with beautiful ancient buildings dominated by a medieval church.
It's like you can see everything Brussels has to offer in less than 10 minutes.
Fair point covering the architectural mismatches of the past but not talking about Art Nouveau when covering the place where it was born, is also an architectural crime.
Art nouveau in brussels is a whole different video topic i wanna cover soon forsure
as someone from Kyiv and now living in Brussels - I'm right at home with the eclecticism and chaos. I find it quite charming, too
No it's horrible. I would prefer to live in beautiful, homogenous Kiev or Minsk or Moscow
@bringbacktheolddislike305 *Kyiv
@@bringbacktheolddislike305 bro soo racist , he rather live in a poor country 😂
@@bringbacktheolddislike305 kyiv is not exactly homogenous
@@olgajaworska7430it’s written “Kiev” in Dutch
Fun fact: there are projects to open up the Senne again, however, they don't know where the river is actually supposed to flow. So they first have to know what to open up!
Edit: confused rivers, thx for the correction!
You mean the Senne, surely. The Seine is a bit farther away.
I've been to Brussels several times, and I still can't quite grasp the city's layout and structure. I always end up getting lost in this urban jungle, but that's exactly what makes Brussels so special. Each time I visit, I discover new facets of the city. It's truly one of a kind.
You forgot to mention the construction of the underground north south railway cutting through the old city. To be fair, a lot has improved in Brussels in the last few decades. Much more walkable less dirty and noise than I remembered from the 80ties. Like Berlin, Brussels has this raw and ugly side which can be very attractive from a historical perspective.
Let’s all appreciate Brussels for doing things so early so the rest of Europe didn’t get to do the same.
Let's just say it gives Brussel character 😅
Although native to the Mediterranean region with other cabbage species, Brussels sprouts first appeared in northern Europe during the 5th century; they were later cultivated in the 13th century near Brussels, Belgium, from which their name derives.
Very interesting! Interesting addition could be the corruption in the second part of the 20th century. Developers like Paul Vanden Boeynants majorly disrupted city planning and mostly did this for personal gain and power. There was a lot of money to be made in deals between the city government (one of the many governments that is) and project developers.
Indeed it's primarily that era that messed Brussels up. A hundred years ago Brussels must have been a beautiful city, with some poor areas for sure.
the "transparent tower" lmfao
well i'm from Antwerp and I always loved Brussels, a really cosmopolitan city, with lots of green spaces
Cosmopolitan = full of foreigners, with Belgians on the run?
You did a great job with the video! I enjoyed the mixture of very recent and old images.
Love your video! I’m Belgian, and Brussels is undeniably my favorite city. Yet, it takes time to fully grasp its depth and richness. Every street feels like entering a new world. For example, I recently discovered the Romanian community in Brussels, which numbers nearly 50,000 people. The city center is a vibrant mix of cultures-some neighborhoods have a distinctly Belgian feel, while others are African, Arab, or Eastern European. I love these contrasts and the diversity they bring; it feels like you can find anything here. This, even after gentrification has made its mark on many areas. Almost all the major monuments in Brussels are rooted in the exploitation and deaths of millions of Congolese. The idea of removing the statues of Léopold II is gradually gaining traction. They were already took off in the Flemish cities.
thank you!
Any thoughts as to why it has happened in flemish cities?
This is just my opinion based on what I’ve read. Some Flemish cities, like Ghent, are known for being quite progressive. But in a city like Antwerp, where the mayor is a Flemish nationalist, the colonial crime era is often seen more as something done by French-speaking Belgians. Leopold II, in particular, was very harsh towards the early Flemish movement.
Not everyone want their country to become a mirror of Africa.
"Almost all the major monuments in Brussels are rooted in the exploitation and deaths of millions of Congolese." That's such a stretch that's it's simply untrue.
I was born in Schaerbeek. I'm upper middle class. I bought a house in Schaerbeek to live with my family and 2 kids and our cargo bike. We live in a street with a lot of lower-class Turkish/Arab people
→ apparently that's "gentrification" :-( what am i to blame for ?
What a great video! Super informative. I always had this same feeling when visiting or traveling through Brussels. It is SO chaotic. Now i know why.
❤
Love ur vid man. I'd say even though Brussels has known lots of transformations throughout its history its what makes it beautiful. You go from one place to another that's radically different. I like it.
There’s many parts of the city that are beautiful
As someone from Brussels, I really enjoyed your video, great job! However, I think it’s a shame you didn’t mention the incredible abundance of Art Nouveau architecture. This style, which flourished between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is such an important part of Brussels’ identity.
One really star example of brusselization is the boulevards that cut across the city center from north station to south station. It comes from when they bulldozed everything to dig a tunnel to join the two stations by rail (they used to be disconnected). If you happen to go from the grand place to the royal palace go example, you will go from 17th century buildings to ugly 1960s offices to 18th and 19th century palaces
Brussels is a beautiful city. I love the variety of architecture styles throughout
As someone who lives in Brussels, I have to say that I like the messiness and chaos of the city.
Great content! I'm grateful for the UA-cam algorithm recommending this to me :) I loved Brussels the moment I moved here 8 years ago, but grown to love it even more seeing how much the city has improved over the years (bike lanes! pedestrian zones!). I'm finishing a video about Brussels as well, talking about the Senne and wastewater monitoring.
Sounds like great topics!
good video thank you keep up the good work !
J’adore toutes tes videos, merci pour toutes ces infos :))
This seems to be a different take on Brusselisation that I understand. True that Anspach demolished the original medieval outlook to create huge boulevards, to emulate Paris. But, the real Brussselisation started in the 60s through to the 90s, when Brussels politicians gave (still do) lucrative construction works to friends and family, resulting in haphazard and ill conceived buildings, not just chaotic but also very unsafe. It’s normal to see modern buildings with medieval buildings throughout the world. That is not Brusselisation. Brusselisation is the complete absence of urban planning, leading to a dysfunctional city management and space.
There's an other example of the bruxellisation, it's the demolition of the " maison du peuple " (wikipedia is your friend here) build by Horta and destroyed to put a discu*** building.
Nice vid! I grew up not far from the Berlaymont (a massive quitte ugly office building)
You got one thing completely wrong: Belgium was one of the most rich and wealthy country way before Congo. Wallonia was the third richest region in the world. What Leopold II built is not thanks to Congo. Belgium had the money already.
Great video
You didn't mention the most Brusselization project of them all, the north-south rail tunnel that cut up much of medieval Brussels in the city center and around the cathedral. Probably one of the most visible scars in the city!
i fucking love the vibes of this city, empty skyscrapers next to wasteland building slots, it's like the bronx from the 70s crashed down in the middle of Manhattan. Can't get more neon noir than this city. I hope they just keep expanding and fucking up more. Rats the size of, well rather big rats, trash bags that pile up to the second storey, the neon of the red light districts reflecting in piss puddles, immigrants trying to hustle you with dice tricks, every ped trying to sell you something, scaffolding that's so old that it has become Unesco's world heritage... For me Brussels is a modern day Ankh Morpok I'm very proud of my city, its beautiful ugliness, the fragrant stench, the mysterious alleys. If you don't like it, piss off. Leave it to the degenerates like me.
First of all, the Justitiepaleis (Palace of Justice) is an awe-inspiring building. You need to see in person to appreciate its astounding size. Second, why show a map of the Low Countries in 1802 when discussing Leopold II? That map does not reflect the shape of Belgium under Leopold II in any way. Or is this a case of trying to increase engagement, like how some youtube video creators deliberately misspell or mispronounce words?
it's not that deep
Its a 1814 map of the southern low countries west of the Rhine. At the time the whole area was under Napoleon's rule
You mean see in person the immense scaffolding and it's astounding size? (beause you won't see much of the building itself) 😅
This video is only a very small part, and it seems like he's more condemning our past (and indeed, the human zoo isn't something to be proud of, but it isn't relevant), than giving the true reasons why Brussels looks 'weird'.
@Bibouchka77 They mean the sheer size of the building which you can only understand seeing it person. Scaffolding or no it’s massive.
it is quite funny to the appartement of myself and that of my brother in this video ... we see it in the video at 2m19s .... it two houses on the right of the recently renovated house in the middle [ white and grey ] .. 2nd floor is mine [ partly covered by the tree ] and the 3rd floor clearly visible is my brithers one .... this house was constructed at the end of the 19th century and the architect was a pupil of architect horta
Funny to recognize my neighbourhood in Saint-Gilles in the video. My house was even in one the shots.
No word about Horta?
Right? A shame art nouveau isn't mentioned at all.
Thank you for the superb video. I visited Brussels for the first time in the early '70s, and I found its rampant redevelopment off-putting. The towns and cities beyond the borders of Brussels, however, seduced and mesmerised me. Sadly, in the following decades, Belgians have embraced the "Los Angelisation" of their country--ubiquitous roads, strip development, and urban sprawl. Although some lovely cities remain, the country teems with a messiness and dumpiness in which I despaIr.
"WTC A Love Story" is an interesting documentairy about the North Station area when they made that into offices.
It's Belgium!
If it looks weird, it reflects the state of our politics!
The first weeks Belgium is so chaotic, not just Brussels, it gives you a headache, but after a while it is addictive, around every corner in Belgium there is a surprise waiting for you.
Yes weird for someone from the Americas. I' am greek who lives in Belgium and i'm in love with Brussels.
Brussel isnt charmless, the charm is within this chaoticness
you have a super cool channel
I love Brussels. I’ve loved her all my life ❤️
I actually like the contrast in building types, but, I will say, destroying historic buildings is a no-no, especially whe you're taking away a prettier, more ornate building for an pretty objectively blander one.
Hah I was looking out the window from my office tower in the centre of Brussels last week when I noticed a drone flying...and now UA-cam recommends this. I wonder if that was you filming! What are the chances?
As a real Brusseler, I love my city with all its flaws. It might not be the prettiest still it has a bog place in my hard as it is thriving with cultures from all over the world.
From all over the third world, more like
I'm Belgian. I live in Antwerp. I never feel comfortable in Brussels. It can't be the worst city in the world , but it feels distopian. I could never connect to it. Yeah, that's it - it's a disconnected place.
funny, that's how I feel about Antwerp lol
People are just crazy. Brussel it's such a beautiful city. 😊
Thanks for the visibility. Brussels is a weird underdog of Europe’s capitals. But what makes it so special as well is its people. Everything is pretty low key, rich and poor alike, and it’s not unusual to meet interesting people who are totally open to talk to you through the entire night. It does offer the perks of a big city with loads of things to do without it becoming that gigantic thing as Paris or London do have. You also very much live in your neighborhood and it tends to have the feeling of a village community. Even Molenbeek, which has the reputation to be one of the worst places, is growing in me. But God how did they manage to make such ugly buildings, every time I walk back home I tell myself one must have some type of evil talent to be so good at ugly lol
No normal human being can feel comfortable between all these dystopian, depressing, concrete staples looking like dog kennels.
What possessed mankind to start building these monsters and do away with everything that reminded us that we are human. Beauty, style, authenticity, character, craft, serenity.. all of what the older buildings reflect : gone.
This is interesting. Though I would argue with contrasting Place Morichar, which is an example of excellent public space, with the De Brouckère area. - It's fairly misleading. One definitely didn't replace the other, and they are in different neighbourhoods (and communes, for that matter).
Oneissue you did not address; the construction of the North/South railconnection, leaving a big scar through the medieval city.
I think Brusselization looks really awesome
What was actually your message in this video: human zoos or architecture in brussels? i do not see the link!
The video is about urban design, but it makes sense to broach the subject of what funded an important period of said design and what it entailed
@@caiusheh the video implies that human zoos and brusselization are linked, but since human zoos were also present in paris, london and berlin and these cities do not show brusselization it is hard to make the connection. Let alone causation. I do not imply that human zoos are not a grusome fact in history and it should be discussed but it has no place in a video about brusselization.
@@mathijsgeerts2464 it is integral to the projection of power that Belgium was performing to emulate the other powers. So it was, in the same way human zoos were a part of parisization in Paris, londonization in London or berlinization in Berlin, whatever those were in detail. It is a part of colonial history, which is part of how Europe got built
@@caiushehbut such an integral part that it deserves 3 min in a 7 min video. I highly doubt that!
@@mathijsgeerts2464 well we Belgians have a pretty rotten habit of downplaying our colonial heritage, so personally, I'm okay with tipping the scales the other way from time to time
is it me or are there like weird artifacts with the audio
from it clipping to panning too much to one ear for a short amount of time
Excellent video! I've been living here for 20 years now and this is the first video that explains this mess in more detail ;)
I noticed you translated “sous-humaines” to “human sous”, but its french for “subhumans”. Dont know if you got that and decided not to put it in but if you missed it thats what it means. 5:29
I think he meant "zoos humains", human zoos, the way congolese people were displayed in the world expos
Between 1810 and 1880, Belgium was the second industrial power in the world, behind the United Kingdom, before 1885
After 1885 Leopold II was presented as responsible for the real or supposed violence in the Congo by the Anglo-Saxon press.
Today neither child labor in coltanni mines nor deaths by the millions in Congo are on the front pages of the media
real or supposed? GTFO
You're pbb one to deny holocaust as well
@@Jejrnfifinrnrnfj The violence is not denied, it is the reliability of the press and its taste for sensationalism which is criticized. Press that ignores what is happening today
@@Jejrnfifinrnrnfj Firstly he's not denying what happened in Congo, he's just stating that even at the time some people were reporting on what was happening there and that today we don't see such articles anymore (or at least very little of it). What happened in Congo was truly inhuman and I agree that Belgium should support the country more since the state should be responsible for the acts of the king at the time (I am belgian btw). But coming to people and being agressive is not going to gain you traction to convince them, you're just going to exacerbate tensions and cause unrest.
Whoever calls Brussels ugly has never been to Eastern Europe, let alone Africa, India, South America etc. Brussels is one of the most beautiful cities on Earth, although lags behind cities like Prague, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome etc.
Brusselization is simply what urbanism is like in the US
Another problem is the Brussels ring road design.
Anyone that needs to go East-West or North-South has to deal with Brussels ring, which is already under pressure from people commuting to work in Brussels.
I mean, ideally, better the ring road than heavy traffic in the urban core.
To me as a Belgian from Flanders it’s just a Belgian/ Flanders’s thing. We love doing everything we want on our own plot of land. In 1 street you can often see a house and next to it a building that looks like the box the house arrived in. We even have instagram pages and little toilet books with collections of pictures of Belgiums ugliest houses or Belgiums worst combinations of houses next to each other.
I remember going to the Netherlands as a kid and asking my parents why the Dutch are all so poor that they need to live in social housing. To me all the exact same houses next to each other in one neighbourhood looked like social housing we have in Belgium for people who desperately need a home. As a child it was kind of explained to me like that so when visiting the Netherlands it was like damn, the Dutch are very poor.😂
Idk I kind of like the kakafonie of it all😂. I wouldn’t want to work so hard to own a house and then not be allowed to do whatever the f I want to do with it. I also find neighbourhoods with the exact same buildings kind of creepy, it’s like a maze where everything looks the same without any point to recognise. You could spend hours walking in circles without knowing it😬🫣.
Fantastic, well scripted, and concise video! Completely describes Brussels' architectural history, without slander
Honestly i don't really care if different parts of a city have a mismatched style of architecture between them as long as the shift is subtle and the contrast isn't visible with a single glance in a majority of the streets.
Yeah, Brussels might have very modern looking office buildings with sleek looking glass facades in one district but that's just *one architecturally cohesive district* which doesn't take away from the other architectural styles in other parts of the city.
thanks for covering the more dark past of leopold II
In the 1970s, Brussels embarked on an ambitious urban redevelopment known as the "Manhattan Project," aiming to transform the Northern Quarter into a modern business district reminiscent of New York's Manhattan. This initiative involved the demolition of approximately 53 hectares of a working-class neighborhood, displacing over 15,000 residents. However, an economic downturn shortly thereafter led to a significant slowdown in construction, leaving the area with numerous vacant lots and unfinished buildings, contributing to a sense of neglect and underutilization.
I consider that Brussels has a "grunge" or "urban goth" aesthetic that is kinda charming. However, this is no excuse for the abundance of unfinished construction projects and the omnipresence of homeless campsites scattered all over the city.
Looks like London
Yeah, but who ever goes to the EU area or the Northern part of town? The rest is eclectic and chewy. Last week, counted seventeen different kinds of architecture on a single block, and all of them well done.
The people who live there
@@bernd_das_brot6911 In the EU quarter? It's all office buildings. In the North, sure, but it's a small part of town. Parts of just about any town are ugly.
@ idk where you are from but in my country most normal cities have a beautiful inner city. No shitty office buildings until you get out of the main part.
I lived next to the EU quarters last year. I wanted to kill myself. I left this city altogether and went to the Walloon Brabant. I had enough of the ugliness and the people there.
@@bernd_das_brot6911 Actually, the European Parliament isn’t located in the inner city or main part of Brussels. It’s in the European Quarter, a separate administrative district east of the historic city center.
I hate Brussels. I love Brussels. I hate Brussels. I love Brussels.
The french investors in brussels also didn't help this city to keep it's old style... And price....
Brussels is beautiful
Note that just about every city, in fact nearly every street in Belgium is a mish mash - big and small houses, old and new, ugly and beautiful, classic and modern, cheap and expensive, in great state or in ruin, all side by side.
Isn't the car free boulevard closer to the original design? There weren't any cars in those days
No but they had horse carts. You should take a look at 19th century pictures. The chaos of hundreds of pedestrians and carts all mingling because traffic rules were very vague in those days.
This is by far the best video on the subject !!! I also like that you showed the beautiful cozy streets you can find in Brussels, not only ugly modern buildings
My beautiful city ❤
As someone born in Brussels and having always lived here I never noticed it could be something seen as special or uncharming! I always thought it was perfectly normal for some buildings to be so different, and I kinda think it has its charm !
Go to the cathedral and look around. That's charming? A medieval cathedral surrounded by those monstrosities?
@ I’m gonna be as polite as I can but I honestly don’t care how you feel lol I love my city
@@Kaladiel Look I like Brussels, but that's in spite of what they did to the old town, not because of it.
they always start building, say it will be done in 6 months. 2 years later, they've done 20%....
I always found this rhetoric pretty weird tbh. While Brussels might've looked rly modern in the 60s, nowadays many european cities are much more eclectic in style than Brussels, just look at British cities or Dutch cities and in fact Brussels' modern buildings are really just contained to a few key spots in the center and around the train stations.
When it comes to the 19th century expansions it's also not uncommon. Paris demolished almost all of its pre-19th century buildings and now looks extremely uniform, personally I actually really like the variety in Brussels where you can see 16th century to 21st century buildings all within less than a kilometer radius.
The planners must have played too much cities skylines
what about hamburger than? It is way worse than Brussels
I could do without all the clicks :-)
this isnt just a brussel thing tho
Sounds like Warsaw
Now Brussels is basically Africa
I guess you really like saint-gilles
like your video thanks for the info 🙂
Aren't all cities like that
So... Bucharest.
I just hate brussels.
Because it became French overtime wich was the first problem and then to top it off it became the "Capitol of the eu". No more brusseleirs in Brussels so the identity and culture is completely gone. It's just a part of the globo-shlomo culture like every other city. Paris, London or Brussels is exactly the same...
Ja schatje, daarom is Antwerpen het stad en de rest is parking
Dont worry bro.. we don’t really care what a smart ass usa guy thinks of our city… we love it as it is…. No need to put everything under the magnifying hysterical glass of OCD 😂😂😂😂😂😂 ♥️🇧🇪
Keep in mind that San Francisco is collapsing due (but not only) to the desire of the city to keep it's low density of population aspect. That central London and Paris are simply unaffordable etc...Tough balance!
As someone living in Brussels, it is also sadly becoming unaffordable. Nowadays, one decent room (not even a studio) is starting at 700 EUR. Basic very small (9 m2) student rooms are starting at 450-500 EUR.
Ok, look, colonisation was pretty bad, and awful stuff did happen in Congo, but I have to pushback on what you said because there is a lot, and I mean A LOT, of misinformation regarding our colonial past that's been fueled by propaganda, anti-colonialist guilt, and one book full of pure fabrication.
And no, there were no human zoos. There were exhibitions where Congolese people willingly came to showcase how life was for them back there. Poor taste? Maybe. Zoo? Hell no.
dream on