Van Parijs on Brussels' new pedestrian zone: "Forward, march!"

“Freeing the public space from the dominance of the car is a big step forward,” writes Philippe Van Parijs, Brussels philosopher and founder of Picnic the Streets, the movement that inspired the creation of the capital's new pedestrian zone. “But we still have an obligation to listen to the complaints that arise,” he says.

Van Parijs (pictured) expressed his point of view on Wednesday in the weekly publication Brussel Deze Week to remind people of the “smiles of thousands of people from De Brouckère to Place de la Bourse” this past summer when the pedestrian zone was introduced. He asks the question why we had to wait so long for it, “obliging pedestrians for decades to flee to the excessively narrow pavements, to get away from the noise, ugliness and noxious fumes.”

Van Parijs goes on to underline the importance of listening to complaints about the new zone, no matter how uninformed, poorly formulated or incomplete they may be. “The right to be heard should not be confused with the right to impose one's will. But the duty to bravely move ahead with the plan should also not be confused with the obligation to listen to constructive suggestions.”

“It is in everyone's interest to move resolutely forward,” he concludes, urging people not to postpone the moment when they will fully enjoy the liberated space - once the problems have been addressed - and to view the change as a chance to take advantage of new business opportunities.