Stating that Living Tomorrow and hometown Vilvoorde have a special relationship, is quite the understatement. From its early beginnings now 26 years ago, the bond has matured into a full-fledged partnership of mutual added value. The new Living Tomorrow Innovation Campus will only add to that. Because the world is changing fast. How will the city tackle its specific challenges? And what role does Living Tomorrow have to play in that masterplan? We spoke to mayor Hans Bonte about past, present and future of his city in transformation.
Mayor Hans Bonte: “First of all, we are very proud to be the ‘hometown’ of Living Tomorrow. It all started with a few visionary statesmen who were smart enough to grant the project a dedicated space, even in the most densely populated area of the country. And for the record, the Living Tomorrow project will continue to have that. The challenges our society is facing are huge and urgent: urban development, mobility, housing, commuting, sustainability… But in our case, considering our particular spatial pressure and conversion of old industries, the impact is twice as hard. So we decided that we must step up our efforts and push the throttle. Living Tomorrow is an essential partner in that undertaking.”