The City of Leuven is groaning under the pressure of the real-estate market and the ensuing urban flight. Het Wisselspoor, a complex of 52 housing units designed by URA architecten, must keep families in the city thanks to an intelligent mix of affordable housing, public functions and high-quality collective (outdoor) spaces.

As in many cities in Europe, several former railway sites have come onto the real-estate market in Leuven in recent decades. These sites are generally in high demand because of their often excellent location close to the station and the city centre. This is also the case of the Centrale Werkplaatsen (Central Workshops), a walled 8.5 ha railway workshop in Kessel-Lo, just behind the Leuven station.