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Brussels was founded in 979 when a small castle was built near the Senne river.

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Following the first castle Lambert of Leuven built a second castle and a city wall that was designed to protect brussels.

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Brussels quickly became an important place for trade and became an important destination on the trading route from Bruges to Cologne.

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The city started developing on the East side of the Senne in order to avoid flooding.

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The building of the Rupel Canal, other wise known as the Willebroek canal nowadays, was started in 1550 and was a major transportation line that went from brussels all the way to Antwerp. This canal encouraged economic activity, allowing the country to transport of different goods. Not only did this growth create economic opportunities as they were able to transport goods to the port of Antwerp (to ship), but it encouraged people to move to brussels to fill in these new jobs surrounding the Willebroek canal.

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19th Century (The industrial Revolution)

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19th Century (The industrial Revolution)

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The industrial revolution had a huge impact on the development of the cities of Brussels. One of the major steps was that during this time period the Senne was covered for hygienic purposes. During this time the construction of the new canal from Brussels to Charleroi also happened, allowing increased connectivity in terms of the transportation of goods. The final major change that happened during this time period was the railway that was created to connect Brussels, including the Northern and Southern parts.

The transportation links and changes created the perfect setting for factories and economic activities to take place. The first few ones started to settle within the borders of what is known today as Molenbeek and Anderlecht (where the remains of such industry can still be seen). This development happened mainly in these areas as the land was cheaper.

All of these new developments made the city even more attractive for economic and living purposes. These new links in transportation allowed the transport of manufactured goods to happen and helped develop the overall industry. This took industrial practices and manufacturing to the next level, encouraging people to migrate to Brussels for economic opportunities. The closing of the Senne, which was becoming polluted (sewage), also created a lot more space, which created room for new businesses and housing, meaning that the city could once again accommodate even more people.

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During this time period the factories that were built during the 19th century, start moving away from the center of the city to the city suburbs. The movement happened especially in the northern part of Brussels, now known as Vilvoorde and Halle. Whilst these industries moved they were still connected to the canal which went far beyond just the borders of Brussels.  In 1952 the railway junctions between the North and the South of Brussels ended.

The industries leaving the city center, which gradually became more expensive due to its desirable location allowed the city to form a new setup. Now the setup was made up mostly of the older city and housing in the center, where everything was easily accessible and the industry on the outskirts. This encourage the development of the suburbs, where workers continued to frequent the area and started moving in (requiring basic necessities). Their change in location, allowed them to remain connected through trains and canals, whilst opening up the city to different economic activities such as retail and governance. This also made room for other companies and organizations to find their way to the capital including the EU.

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Brussels now looks very different from Brussels 10 centuries ago. What started with a single castle became one of the most important cities in Europe. Brussels is made up of a Historical center, the inner city, suburbs, an industrial area, transportation links such as the canal, and different regions, which are all very important in depicting the change that Brussels went through. Brussels went through an industrial phase where the trains would run through the city and factories were found everywhere. Whilst some of these factories and railways still exist, they have changed location in order to create a more desirable place to live. Industries around Brussels have found a way to stretch along the canal, which runs directly through the center of the city, but instead of still finding themselves in the center, they have moved towards the outskirts where they are still connected but not in the way of city life. Many of the railways and subways still link to these areas making them accessible to workers without making it the center of Brussels. Around many of the industrial sites, there are parts of the city and suburbs that stretch on both sides allowing workers to still have easy access.

The historical center which is made up of buildings that are largely before the industrial time has been preserved and turned into a retail area, where small commerce and bigger brands can market their goods more easily. Their location gives them access to a huge crowd; oftentimes tourists who come and visit the historical sites or locals who either pass through or live close due to the central location. Around these areas, most companies can also be found, including the parliamentary headquarters, embassies, and bigger brands including Samsung and Google. This has made it a hotspot for people across the continent, for travel but especially work, creating a wider international community.

Brussels continues to grow to create suburbs to accommodate a larger population of people and has installed development plans that aim to incorporate more green areas whilst taking into consideration population growth. This will push it to continue being a desirable city to live in, which in its term will push it to continue the fast-paced development it has gone through in the past few centuries.