Schaerbeek Re-examines Plan to Cut 108 Plane Trees

A citizen mobilization sparked by a viral Instagram video has prompted the commune of Schaerbeek to re-examine a long-planned renovation project that would see 108 mature plane trees cut down on one of Brussels’ most prestigious avenues. The commune has confirmed it will reassess the case following intense public pressure, according to RTBF.

The project, which has been in development for nearly a decade, involves renovating Avenue Louis Bertrand — a protected landscape connecting the Saint-Servais church to Josaphat Park — and would replace the 60-year-old plane trees with approximately 70 trees of different species, while paving over 1,400 square meters of vegetated surface.

A Viral Spark

The renewed mobilization was ignited by Selin Kivrak, a 27-year-old Schaerbeek resident who discovered the project almost by accident. “I was walking on Avenue Louis Bertrand and I saw a sign on a window alerting people about the issue,” she told RTBF. “I had no idea about the project. I called the commune, which confirmed it hadn’t been cancelled and could still happen. I wanted to do something.”

Kivrak recorded a video sharing her concerns and reached out to influencers. French tree-climber and activist Thomas Brail amplified her message on his own channels, and the video has since garnered more than 100,000 views. The response has surprised even Kivrak herself. “I wanted to make the situation known to as many people as possible,” she said. “But I didn’t expect such a scale.”

Residents point to this summer’s heatwaves as a key factor in the outpouring of support. “After the weeks of heat we’ve experienced this summer, I think this reaction is logical,” Kivrak said. “People don’t want trees that help against the heat to be cut down.”

Commune’s Response

Gudrun Willems (Ecolo-Groen), the echevine in charge of the file, acknowledged the commune is taking the concerns seriously. “We can fully understand the worries expressed by citizens,” she said in a statement reported by RTBF. “The current climate context legitimately raises questions about the future of urban trees. That’s why we want to take the necessary time to analyze the entire file rigorously and calmly. No decision regarding a possible felling will be made before this thorough re-evaluation.”

Willems stressed that no public tender has been launched and no construction is currently scheduled, noting there are no imminent works or planned felling in the short term. She also defended the project’s intent, saying the replacement species would be “more adapted to climate challenges and the urban context.”

Approximately 100 Schaerbeek residents, including Kivrak, plan to formally address the commune after the summer break.

A Decade-Long Saga

The renovation project has followed a tortuous path. Avenue Louis Bertrand was laid out in 1905 as a grand entrance to Josaphat Park, featuring remarkable Art Nouveau buildings including several designed by Gustave Strauven. The avenue was classified as a protected landscape in January 2020.

The commune first launched renovation discussions in 2014, but the initial project received a scathing review from the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites. After the avenue’s classification, a revised plan was submitted in 2020. The urban planning permit was refused in December 2022 over concerns about bicycle infrastructure, but the commune successfully appealed and obtained the permit in June 2023.

Opposition to the tree cutting is not new. A change.org petition launched in June 2021 has gathered thousands of signatures, and urban research organization ARAU has been highly critical of the project, calling it “retrograde” for maintaining car dominance while reducing green space. Residents also point to a pattern of tree cutting in the commune, citing the 143 plane trees felled on Avenue Eugène Demolder in 2018 and 61 robiniers removed on Rue Rubens in 2019.

What’s Next

The commune’s decision to re-examine the case represents a significant concession to public pressure and highlights growing sensitivity to urban tree preservation in the context of climate change. The outcome could set a precedent for how Brussels communes balance urban renovation with environmental concerns.

With the permit having expired and no construction scheduled, the commune has room to reconsider its approach. The question now is whether a compromise can be found that preserves the avenue’s mature trees while still addressing the infrastructure needs that prompted the renovation in the first place.