In Antwerp, the city council has given the green light for expanding the car-free zone in the city center. With the ‘Via Sinjoor’, the new car-free route, the city wants to create a virtually car-free boulevard through the city center.
The goal is to create a more attractive and safer city center. The city council has opted for “a clear north-south and south-north connection for local traffic over the Meir Bridge, without complex traffic lights.”
Safer and more pleasant
“We’re ensuring a smooth and organized flow for all modes of transport,” says Alderman for Mobility, Koen Kennis (N-VA). “Pedestrians, cyclists, trams, and motorists heading to the parking lots will each have a clear, logical route. The area around Groenplaats, a square in the city center, will not only be safer but also much more pleasant and easily accessible.”
Starting in the spring of 2027, both Groenplaats and the surrounding streets will be redesigned. The new traffic situation will then become a reality.
Opposition party Groen is not entirely happy with the plans. Groen is pleased with the expanded pedestrian zones, but also believes that cyclists and other active road users are given too little space, and that car traffic still has priority.
Some major changes
The redevelopment of Koningin Astridplein will begin in 2028. There will be more trees and greenery, and even water features. The entrances to the metro and the underground parking garage will be placed in more visible, more practical locations. There will be a clearer and safer route to and from the station for cyclists and pedestrians.
The approximately 500-meter-long shopping street De Meir is being renovated and will have special mood lighting. The Meir and the surrounding streets will have more greenery. Also, the square between the Meir and Hopland, with the Rubens House, will have a striking water feature. Meirbrug remains open for local car traffic (north-south connection).
The Nationalestraat will become car-free between the Kammenstraat and the Groenplaats. A two-way road is being constructed in Sint-Katelijnevest and Huidevettersstraat, where trams, cars, and bicycles will travel together.
Schoenmarkt will become a fully-fledged pedestrian zone, comparable to the Meir (trams will continue to run).
Elsewhere in Belgium
Other Belgian cities also have car-free zones. Brussels has been largely car-free between De Brouckère and Beurs since 2015. The car-free zone extends to the central boulevards (including Anspachlaan) and surrounding streets.
Motorized traffic is prohibited, except for emergency services and permit holders. Deliveries and taxis are only permitted between 4:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Furthermore, the entire region has been car-free since September 2025.
Since 2017, Ghent has had a circulation plan that bans through traffic from the city center. Large parts of the city are car-free or car-free, and the city therefore provides parking on the outskirts and park-and-ride.
Neighboring countries
Compared to Belgian cities, Paris is much more ambitious in its car phase-out. Large parts of the Seine banks are car-free, and the city is actively working to reduce the number of parking spaces.
Madrid has a Low-Emission Zone with restricted access for residents/electric vehicles. The policy is based more on access control and emission standards than on pure pedestrian axes.
Berlin has a low-emission zone – ‘Umweltzone’ – covering the wide city center, along with some temporary and partly permanent car-free experiments.
