New Brussels by bike: a tour of the city's new neighbourhoods

Brussels is reinventing itself – and the best way to see it is by bike. All over the city, old industrial sites are being turned into new mixed neighbourhoods where homes, workshops, makers, artists and green space sit side by side. Many of them are developed by citydev.brussels, the Region's urban development agency. This ride takes you to some of the most inspiring ones, starting right at our door.

Start: Tivoli GreenCity, Laeken

Our shop is in the middle of Tivoli GreenCity, a 4.5 hectare sustainable neighbourhood by the canal, between Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre, Rue Tivoli, Rue de Molenbeek and Rue Claessens.

• Greenbizz – an incubator with production workshops for companies in the sustainable, circular and local economy, open since 2016. Its big brother Greenbizz II, with around 30 more workshops, coworking, a café and urban farming, got its building permit in October 2026.
• BXL Pump Park – the first pump track in Brussels, born in our shop. Perfect for a warm-up with the kids. See our pump tracks page.

West loop: along the canal to Molenbeek and Anderlecht

LionCity, Molenbeek

For more than a century, the lion of Delhaize ruled this huge site on Rue Osseghem. Since the supermarket group left in 2020, citydev.brussels has been preparing a new neighbourhood here, with around 200 homes, 55 production workshops, a supermarket and new green public spaces. Until the works start (not before 2028), the 43,000 m² site lives as LionCity, a temporary “third place” run with the cultural operator Entrakt.

What you'll find there:

• Makers' workshops – from coffee roasting and biscuit baking to mustard and soap making, alongside artists, graphic designers and painters.
• Murals and street art on the old industrial walls, music studios and a parkour space.
• Urban farming – a participatory vegetable garden, beehives and chickens.
• A little Delhaize museum in a former warehouse.
• Bar LEO – the meeting point of the site, with regular events. Check lioncity.brussels for opening hours and the programme.

Address: Rue Osseghem 53, Molenbeek. Metro: Osseghem or Beekkant.

CityGate, Anderlecht

A series of new mixed projects along the canal in Cureghem, with homes, workshops, schools and a crèche, including the site of the former Leonidas chocolate factory.

Back along the canal

Ride north on the canal paths past old warehouses and new parks, back to Tivoli.

East loop: Josaphat and Evere

Josaphat

On the border of Schaerbeek and Evere, a large former railway site is becoming a new neighbourhood with affordable homes, including citydev.brussels housing.

Rotor DC, Evere

Photo: Barthélemy Decobecq / Rotor DC

In citydev's Da Vinci business park, the cooperative Rotor DC salvages building materials – tiles, wood, doors, lamps, sanitary ware – and gives them a second life. Since moving here in 2022, they are turning their 14,000 m² site into a centre for reuse, craftsmanship and urban production, keeping and transforming the existing buildings. Their showroom is open to everyone: a treasure hunt for DIY lovers and designers. Address: 3 Avenue de Bâle, Evere – open Tuesday to Saturday (check rotordc.com for hours).

Good to know

• Distance: each loop is roughly 15 km from our shop and mostly flat – easy for families and e-bikes. Ride both for a full day.
• These are living neighbourhoods: workshops and studios are working spaces, not museums. Respect private areas and look out for open days, markets and events.
• Construction sites change all the time – the route may need small detours.

We're putting this ride on Strava so you can follow it on your phone – find it on our family rides page. Working on urban or circular projects yourself? We're happy to bring bikes, tools and ideas – see Community & partners.

Sources: citydev.brussels, Entrakt, LionCity, Rotor DC, RTBF, DH and BX1.