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Reconstructing urban soil genesis using historical maps and archival documents: the case of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert in Brussels’s 20th-century belt

par Bossard, Alexandre
Référence Urbanism&Urbanisation International PhD seminar (29.10.2025 - 31.10.2025: Venice, Italy)
Publication Non publié, 2025-10-29

Communication à un colloque

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Résumé :

Urban soils represent a critical yet overlooked component of the urban environment. This paper addresses the lack of comprehensive urban soil data by developing a methodology based on historical documents to reconstruct soil transformations in Brussels’s 20th-century urban belt, focusing on the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The research first identifies areas of significant soil displacement, distinguishing between excavations and backfilled zones. These spatial analyses are further contextualised through historical aerial imagery and archival records, which reveal the context and drivers behind soil movement. The findings challenge the perception of Brussels’s "green belt" as build on pristine or minimally altered soil. Instead, the study demonstrates that these areas were historically sites of industrial activity, supplying raw materials for the urbanisation of central districts. Following extraction, many sites underwent backfilling or landfilling, only to be later urbanised, creating a palimpsest of soil alterations beneath contemporary neighbourhoods. The paper argues that understanding these historical trajectories is essential for interpreting present-day soil conditions and anticipating potential risks, such as contamination. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by Innoviris for research funding (Archisols research project), the FNRS for travel expenses to the conference, and LAB for additional costs related to participation and registration.