Following the launch of their joint City Dialogue earlier this year, the cities of Leuven and Mechelen reconvened construction and service SMEs on December 1st for a second roundtable discussion: Rondetafelgesprek - Vlotter werken in Leuven en Mechelen.
Hosted at Leuven’s city offices, the session brought together 23 participants to take stock of progress, test new ideas, and continue building a shared understanding of how to enable more efficient urban operations.
This meeting built on the insights gathered during the first dialogue at the Bouwbar event in June 2025, where SMEs had shared feedback through a digital survey and one-to-one conversations. Since then, both cities have used these insights to initiate concrete actions aimed at improving conditions for construction and service companies working in their dense urban centres.
Turning Feedback into Action
The second dialogue focused on three core themes identified by SMEs earlier this year:
- Entering and navigating the cities more efficiently
- Facilitating collaboration between companies and city administrations
- Exploring and inspiring alternative mobility options
Leuven and Mechelen shared updates on the steps already taken since the summer, while SMEs provided candid feedback on where improvements are felt and where challenges persist.
Testing Tools, Challenging Assumptions
Inspired by learnings from the GLEAM NSR partner meeting in Rotterdam, the cities introduced two elements to spark discussion:
- The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator, and
- The Van Dorp business case on inner-city HVAC logistics.
Reactions were mixed and insightful. SMEs expressed limited interest in the TCO tool, noting that such calculations often sit with their accountants rather than external consultants. Meanwhile, the Van Dorp case, while inspiring, was deemed too niche and applicable mainly to much larger cities than those in Flanders.
These reactions underscored the importance of grounding solutions in local realities. As one participant noted, working in Leuven or Mechelen is a fundamentally different context than operating in Rotterdam.
A Broad and Engaged SME Community
The roundtable drew a diverse group of entrepreneurs, including roof installers, window specialists, interior designers, HVAC companies, and more, demonstrating the wide interest in improving urban working conditions across the sector.
Despite the cold and dark of a Monday evening, attendance was strong. Participants came from across Flanders, highlighting the relevance of Leuven and Mechelen’s joint approach and the appetite within the sector for constructive dialogue.
The meeting also revealed a persistent challenge: the gap between the day-to-day realities of SMEs and those of city administrations.
Outcomes and Next Steps
A key outcome of the session was the recognition that dialogue must extend beyond logistics or mobility teams. SMEs expressed a strong need for closer interaction with municipal colleagues responsible for permits, parking reservations, and operational approvals areas that influence their ability to work efficiently in the city every day.
In response, Leuven and Mechelen will likely extend the dialogue to include these departments, ensuring broader alignment and smoother administrative processes for SMEs.
The cities will continue refining their actions based on SME input and will assess the need for additional cross-departmental meetings in the coming months.