A tributary of the River Senne/Zenne, the Maelbeek/Maalbeek is a small but capricious stream flowing from south to north across Ixelles/Elsene and Etterbeek. The stream is now channelled underground, with only the ponds along its course serving as reminders of the valley’s former landscapes. In the early 1970s, plans for an urban motorway threatened the existence of the residential blocks between Place Jourdan/Jourdanplein and Place Flagey/Flageyplein. These proposals prompted a massive backlash from ARAU, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles (IEB) and affected residents, resulting in an alternative plan that would put paid to the proposed motorway for good. Here, ARAU gives you the chance to enjoy an original tour looking back at the long history of an urban struggle, and one from which residents emerged victorious!