Joséphine-Hortense Mairesse Park

Joséphine-Hortense Mairesse Park is a small but thoughtfully designed green space in the heart of Saint-Gilles, a municipality of Brussels. It opened to residents and visitors on 3 July 2024, occupying a plot along rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies in a densely built neighbourhood where green space is genuinely scarce, making its creation a notable event for the local community.

Where does the park's name come from?

The park is named after Joséphine-Hortense Mairesse, the first woman to become a teacher in Saint-Gilles. Choosing her as the park's namesake reflects a broader trend in Brussels of naming public spaces after women who played a meaningful role in local history but had long remained overlooked.

What can visitors find in the park?

At the heart of the site is a redesigned green area covering roughly 900 square metres. That may sound modest compared to Brussels' larger parks, but in tightly packed Saint-Gilles every square metre of greenery counts. A play area for children includes a climbing wall and suspended rope features, elements designed to encourage active outdoor play for younger visitors.

The park is fully open and accessible to everyone, without the restricted hours typical of some private or semi-public green spaces. Two entrances serve the park: one from rue Coenen and another from rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies, reached through a covered passageway built specifically during the renovation works. This passage improves pedestrian flow between the two streets and effectively lets the park double as a shortcut for people moving through the neighbourhood.

How did this park come to be?

Joséphine-Hortense Mairesse Park forms part of a larger scheme known as "Mairesse Garden," which combined three functions within a single urban block: green space, nine units of subsidised housing, and a municipal daycare centre. The project was carried out jointly by the municipality of Saint-Gilles and citydev.brussels, as part of the broader Sustainable District Contract Parvis-Morichar urban renewal programme.

The total cost of the project came to approximately 7.1 million euros, with 4.5 million euros contributed by citydev.brussels and 2.6 million euros by the municipality. This funding structure highlights how much importance local authorities place on creating new green spaces in densely populated parts of the city, where room for conventional parks is limited.

Why is it worth a visit?

Joséphine-Hortense Mairesse Park is a good example of a so-called "pocket park" — a small, tucked-away green space woven into the urban fabric that, despite its modest size, genuinely improves quality of life in the surrounding area. It illustrates how contemporary urban planning in Brussels tries to reconcile housing needs, childcare provision, and access to greenery within a single, integrated project.

Frequently asked questions

When did the park open? The park officially opened on 3 July 2024.

How big is the park? The green portion of the park covers approximately 900 square metres.

Is there a playground for children? Yes, the park includes a play area with a climbing wall and rope features.

Where are the park entrances? Access is available from rue Coenen and from rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies via a covered passageway.

Is the park part of a larger development? Yes, it was built as part of the "Mairesse Garden" project, which also includes housing units and a municipal daycare centre.