Our mission

To understand the challenges of urban life, we must gather insights from the past as building blocks for the neighbourhoods of the future.

At Triple Living, we build human-centred cities, with neighbourhoods designed to be truly lived in. In our view, the ideal urban district looks like this:

Walkable: everything within easy reach
Human-scale design
Mixed-use functions
Priority for pedestrians and cyclists
Quality of life at the core
Vibrant and lively

Diverse and inclusive
High-quality spaces between buildings
Plenty of green and well-designed public spaces
Places for both connection and privacy
Respect for the planet
Distinctive architecture with a unique identity

These are all logical ideas – not ones we’ve invented ourselves. Our vision for the ideal city is inspired by the principles of ‘liveable cities’ promoted by urbanists like Jan Gehl and David Sim, but also by the dynamic melting pots that medieval cities once were.

Our projects

We create living, breathing projects – neighbourhoods full of life. With expertise and the drive to shape the cities of tomorrow, we develop new places that are great for living, working, and relaxing. Thoughtful architecture, innovative technologies, and high-quality landscaping make our cities liveable and our neighbourhoods future-proof.

The Banks

Sint-Pieterspoort

Groene Poort

Urban Planning: Then and Now

The Middle Ages

A Buzzing City

In the Middle Ages, cities were vibrant melting pots with functions as diverse as their inhabitants: monasteries, hospitals, schools, slaughterhouses, smithies, guild halls, taverns, markets… every aspect of life happened in the city’s heart – until long wars brought trade to a halt.

First life. Then spaces. Then buildings.

JAN GEHL

18th & 19th Century

Explosive Growth

The Industrial Revolution brought massive change. Steam and steel drove trade, production, and scale. Cities began to grow organically and rapidly. People left the countryside, seeking opportunity in urban factories. Cities became buzzing ecosystems again – homes, workshops, and warehouses all side by side. People walked to work, to shops, to the docks – and ended their day at the local tavern.

Late 19th to Early 20th Century

The Monofunctional City

After two world wars, new technologies reshaped urban landscapes. Concrete, glass, and steel enabled large-scale construction. Functionalism became the dominant planning principle – separating functions like living, working, education, recreation, and transport into distinct zones inside and outside the city.

Cities literally gave up ground: freight stations became obsolete, port activity was centralised, slaughterhouses shut down, warehouses and barracks stood empty. People moved to the green suburbs. City life became fragmented – soulless residential towers and large social blocks replaced vibrant neighbourhoods. No shops, no playgrounds, no bakeries or parks. No small talk at the corner café. As economic activity disappeared, life drained from urban districts.

The soft city is about ease and comfort, where density has a human dimension, adapting to our ever-changing needs, nurturing relationships, and accommodating the pleasures of everyday life.

DAVID SIM

Late 20th Century

The Human City

By the mid-1960s, a counter-movement emerged. A new generation of urbanists envisioned a different kind of city: one on a human scale. Places where people enjoy being, with streets that are pleasant to stroll along. Where lively shopfronts reveal the energy within, and cafés offer a welcome break. Cities made for living again – with trees and parks that cool the streets and bring nature into the urban environment.

And their ideas work. Copenhagen, Antwerp, Bern, Oslo, Stockholm, Sydney, London – all rank among the world’s ‘most liveable cities’. These are places where advocates of liveable urban design have made their mark – or are in the process of doing so. Their ideas are surprisingly simple: not one massive housing block, but a cluster of smaller ones. Shared gardens, benches, community spaces. Varying volumes. Mixed-use buildings.

And just like that, the human city reconnects with its historical, vibrant roots. A city of the future as well. Because only human-scale cities can reconcile people, the climate, and the environment. And that’s tomorrow’s great challenge.

Urban Renewal in Antwerp

Over the past 25 years, Antwerp has undergone a significant wave of urban renewal – earning the title ‘City of the Year’ in 2012. Triple Living has played a key role in that evolution, developing lively, green urban districts such as Nieuw Zuid, the Slachthuisbuurt, and Klein Berchem.