Brussels children have the least access to green spaces around schools, new VUB research finds
Children growing up in Brussels do not have equal access to green and natural environments at school, and these inequalities are stronger than in comparable European cities.
Brussels, February 2026 — This is a key conclusion of a PhD dissertation by Elsa Gallez from the Cartography and GIS research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
The research assesses children’s access to and use of green spaces in and around primary schools, during and after school hours. Brussels was compared with Barcelona, Rotterdam and Paris as part of the international COOLSCHOOLS project.
Using spatial data on vegetation cover and socio-economic characteristics of schools and neighbourhoods, Gallez shows that children from wealthier families attend schools with greener, healthier and more climate-resilient environments, both in schoolyards and in surrounding spaces. While inequalities exist in all four cities, Brussels stands out with the strongest socio-economic disparities. “In a European context, this is particularly striking,” says Gallez. “The spatial structure of Brussels, with a dense and deprived urban core, plays an important role.”
The study furthermore explores how green spaces are actually used. Surveys of 418 parents and 72 teachers and school leaders, combined with in-depth interviews, reveal more complex patterns. Contrary to common assumptions, children from lower-income families use green spaces after school more frequently than children from higher-income families, despite having more limited access. Factors such as time constraints, organised leisure activities and home-school distance appear to play a role.
Differences also emerge between school types. Although charter schools from the subsidised free network generally receive about half the public funding of public schools, they tend to organise a more diverse range of nature-based outdoor activities. These activities take place more regularly and vary in duration, ranging from short outings to full-day and multi-day activities. According to Gallez, this may be linked to higher parental financial contributions, fewer administrative constraints, and better access to public green spaces in the immediate surroundings of the school. At the same time, charter schools often have smaller schoolyards with less vegetation and fewer natural elements.
During school hours, outdoor learning is often limited by lack of time, restricted budgets, insufficient long-term support from environmental organisations, and limited teacher training in outdoor education.
Contact with nature supports children’s physical and mental health, concentration, memory and physical activity, while reducing behavioural problems. Green school environments also contribute to climate resilience and biodiversity. However, public green spaces near schools in lower-income neighbourhoods are often poorly maintained or difficult to use with young children.
Gallez calls for closer integration of urban greening and education policies, including prioritising schoolyard greening in disadvantaged areas, improving nearby public green spaces, strengthening outdoor learning in teacher training, supporting schools with additional human resources, and investing structurally in environmental organisations. “To truly improve children’s well-being,” she concludes, “policies must move beyond formal equality and actively work towards equity.”
More info:
https://coolschools.eu/the-project/
https://www.bubble.brussels/ecole-clair-vivre-omega-alpha-2/
References:
Gallez, E., Canters, F., Gadeyne, S., & Baro, F. (2024). A multi-indicator distributive justice approach to assess school-related green infrastructure benefits in Brussels. Ecosystem Services, 70, 101677. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041624000846
Gallez, E., Mujica, C. P. F., Gadeyne, S., Canters, F., & Baró, F. (2024). Nature-based school environments for all children? comparing exposure to school-related green and blue infrastructure in four European cities. Ecological Indicators, 166, 112374. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24008318
Contact:
Elsa Gallez: Elsa.Gallez@vub.be
