The United Steelworks of Burbach-Eich-Dudelange (ARBED) mined iron ore in the area until 1977, after which it was abandoned for the next 40 years.
1,450 dwellings will be built in the new Rout Lëns neighbourhood, 30% of which will be social housing. Speaking to our colleagues from RTL Télé, Eric Lux, the contractor behind the project, stressed that “we have to deliver housing that people can afford”.
The new neighbourhood will be able to accommodate 3,000 people. The first homes and flats will go on the market for sale in 2024, with construction slated to begin in August.
The project’s manager, Sandra Huber, explained that the first 150 homes will be built on a plot measuring approximately 20,000 square metres.
The neighbourhood will include homes, a school, and several shops in addition to a lot of green space. The area will remain car free, in favour of a focus on public transportation.
Soft mobility, in this case bicycles, also plays an important role in the design of the neighbourhood.
There are currently about 36,000 people living in Esch-sur-Alzette. Following the construction of the Esch/Schifflange and Rout Lëns neighbourhoods, the local population will increase even further. By 2050, the population of Esch-sur-Alzette will have doubled, according to early projections.
Martin Kox, a member of the municipal executive, pointed out Esch is the municipality with the highest proportion of social housing in the country.
The full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish and French):
