u/Gaufriers

According to the barman at Trollekelder, at least, when I asked for a towel to dry the benches. I'll spare you the condescending back-and-forth.

The thing is that my friends and I are Belgians (from Liège), and we're perfectly happy to sit on a terrace as soon as the rain stops. I actually thought that was a pretty Belgian thing to do.

Anyway, I ended up drying the benches with their dishcloth.

Do people in Ghent really not sit outside after it rains?

https://preview.redd.it/pweqwd71g4lh1.png?width=1386&format=png&auto=webp&s=b6ce5e0b9f49b90ef0faafc120323b7c24b94999

So here's my take: the urban regions as observed by Vanderstraeten & Van Hecke.

Whatever imaginary lines we'd come up with in the future should probably take into account these proposed urban regions.

Vanderstraeten, L., & Van Hecke, E. (2019). Les régions urbaines en Belgique. Belgeo, 1. https://doi.org/10.4000/belgeo.32246

Abstract fait par IA:

Les bourgmestres des neuf plus grandes villes wallonnes alertent sur leur situation financière et demandent une réforme de leur financement. Une étude de l'UVCW affirme que ces villes concentrent 88 % des déficits communaux wallons.

Selon l'étude, les grandes villes supportent des charges importantes liées à leur rôle de pôles régionaux (mobilité, sécurité, enseignement, action sociale, culture) au bénéfice d'une population dépassant largement leurs seuls habitants, sans disposer de recettes fiscales proportionnelles.

L'UVCW conclut que les difficultés budgétaires des grandes villes relèvent principalement d'un déséquilibre structurel du système de financement local et plaide pour un refinancement ainsi qu'une meilleure mutualisation de certains coûts à l'échelle des bassins de vie.

En gros, on n'avance pas beaucoup.

Extract:

Brussels plays a central economic role, with influence extending far beyond its official regional borders. According to a new study by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA), the “Greater Brussels” urban area actually encompasses around 2.9 million inhabitants and 1.3 million jobs.

Rather than viewing Belgium as a collection of isolated cities, the study describes the country as a network of 32 major urban poles shaped by daily mobility patterns. Brussels alone influences 105 municipalities, including areas in both Wallonia and Flanders.

The study highlights major regional differences. In Flanders, population growth has remained concentrated in urban centers, while in Wallonia it has spread toward more distant suburbs, reinforcing urban sprawl and weakening many city centers.

With 1.3 million jobs, Greater Brussels forms the country’s largest economic basin. The Brussels urban area is also the second-largest employment hub for both Flanders and Wallonia, underlining the capital’s economic importance far beyond commuter flows into the city itself.

IBSA also warns about the consequences of urban sprawl. Belgium has some of the longest commuting distances in Europe, increasing dependence on cars, infrastructure costs, and pressure on transport networks. The influence of Brussels stretches particularly far into Wallonia, where secondary urban centers are weaker than in densely urbanized Flanders.

While the study does not challenge Belgium’s administrative borders, it argues that understanding the “lived city” — where people actually work, travel, and access services — is essential for future mobility and urban planning policies.

Extract made with an AI.