Véronique Claessens, civil engineer-architect and spatial planner, was appointed as the new —and first female—Flemish Government Architect on 1 October 2025. Prior to her appointment, she built up a solid reputation as director of the Spatial Planning Department at the City of Genk, where she spent more than fifteen years guiding urban development and public space projects. As Government Architect, she relies on a policy and administrative-based perspective to respond to the needs of local authorities, efficiently manage processes, and link spatial quality to realistic, feasible solutions. A+ sat down for a conversation with her in early January 2026.

Eline Dehullu  (A+) : You are currently working with the Team on a policy document for the next five years. Can you give us a sneak preview? What issues will be addressed?