Spatie maakt ruimte

What Spatie maakt ruimte does

Spatie maakt ruimte is a Belgian partnership (Vof) founded in 2021 and headquartered in Leuven that provides spatial planning, urban design, and policy advisory services to public-sector clients. The firm was established by Kristine Verachtert and Muriel, both formerly of Stad Leuven and the international planning consultancy BUUR, and was joined in 2024 by Stéfanie De Deken (a 16-year BUUR veteran) and Ana Jerónimo, bringing the core team to roughly 4-7 people.

The firm's work spans strategic spatial planning, participatory design processes, and policy advisory mandates for Flemish municipalities and the Vlaamse Overheid. Active engagements have been identified in at least Brugge, Hasselt, Mechelen, Leuven, Oudsbergen, Herentals, Bilzen, and Overijse. The firm delivers these mandates partly through its own staff and partly through a network of subcontractor and partner relationships with design studios, consultancies, and applied-research institutions, including BUUR Pos, LAMA, BRUT, Plot, Bochtwerk, Suunta, PlusOffice, City D, Overlant, Plant-&Houtgoed, VITO, HIVA, and HoGent.

The business model is project-based professional services: fees are earned on defined studies, design commissions, and advisory mandates awarded via public tender. No external funding rounds, revenue figures, or recurring framework-agreement economics have been disclosed. The firm does not present any AI, data, or software-platform offering; its value proposition rests on senior practitioner experience and a multi-disciplinary partner network rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Spatie maakt ruimte

Legal name

Spatie maakt ruimte Vof

Website

https://spatiemaaktruimte.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spatie maakt ruimte is a Leuven-based Belgian spatial planning and urban design consultancy serving Flemish municipalities and government agencies with project-based advisory, policy, and participatory design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spatial Planning and Urban Design Consulting

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

Keywords

• Spatial planning consulting
• Urban design services
• Municipal policy advisory
• Landscape architecture consulting
• Participation and masterplanning

Headquarters

HQ city

Leuven

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Project-based professional services for spatial planning, urban design, policy development, and landscape architecture. Services include developing policy visions, creating planning instruments (RUPs, regulations), advisory work, process facilitation, and participative trajectory design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Spatie maakt ruimte is a Belgian spatial planning and urban design consultancy that advises Flemish municipalities, intermunicipal cooperations, the Flemish government, designers, developers, and researchers on spatial policy and project realization. The firm prepares spatial implementation plans (Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplannen), master plans, spatial policy plans (Beleidsplannen Ruimte), densification and housing zoning studies, open space plans, spatial yield analyses, and participation trajectories, supported by a broad network of partner specialists.

Product overview

Spatie maakt ruimte is a small but experienced spatial planning and urban design consultancy founded in 2021, specializing in policy development, spatial planning instruments, and process guidance for Flemish municipalities and governments. The firm offers a portfolio of interconnected services including Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan (RUP) preparation, master planning, spatial policy plans, density visions, open space plans, and participation processes. The company works exclusively with a limited number of projects to ensure personal follow-up, and assembles custom teams from its network of experts for each assignment. Services are delivered across three client segments: governments (overheden), designers and developers (ontwerpers & ontwikkelaars), and researchers (onderzoekers), with a focus on creating smart, action-oriented policy and manageable spatial instruments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan (RUP) Preparation Preparation of statutory Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplannen (spatial implementation plans) for Flemish municipalities and intermunicipal cooperations, translating spatial policy into legally binding planning instruments.
• Master Planning Services Development of master plans and master visions for municipalities, intermunicipal cooperations, designers, and developers, providing an integrated spatial framework for areas and projects.
• Beleidsplan Ruimte (Spatial Policy Plan) Advisory Advisory and drafting support for Beleidsplannen Ruimte (spatial policy plans) for Flemish municipalities and government clients, helping shape long-term spatial strategy.
• Densification Vision and Housing Zoning Studies Analysis and visualization of densification potential and housing zoning (dichtheidsvisie en woonzoneringsplannen) to guide municipalities in managing growth and density.
• Densification Research (Verdichtingsonderzoek) Targeted research into densification opportunities and constraints for municipalities, designers, developers, and researchers, supporting evidence-based planning decisions.
• Open Space Planning (Openruimteplan) Development of open space plans (Openruimteplannen) to structure and protect non-built landscape and ecological areas in coordination with broader spatial policy.
• Spatial Yield Analysis (Ruimtelijk Rendement) Quantitative analysis of the spatial yield (ruimtelijk rendement) of sites and projects, helping clients evaluate efficient use of space in planning decisions.
• Participation Process Design and Facilitation Design and facilitation of participation trajectories (participatietrajecten) for municipal and intermunicipal planning processes, structuring engagement with citizens, stakeholders, and partners.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LAMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on open space planning projects, including Brugge Openruimteplan and Beleidsplan Ruimte Willebroek. LAMA is a spatial planning partner.
• BUUR PoscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerActs as subcontractor to BUUR Pos on multiple municipal planning projects including Mechelen Beleidsplan Ruimte, Hasselt Stationsomgeving RUP, Hofstade kern RUP, Regionet Leuven cases, and Beeldkwaliteitsplan Sint-Joris-Weert.
• BRUTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Bilzen Visie Centrum and Masterplan Tessenderlo projects. BRUT is a spatial planning partner.
• PlotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Bilzen Visie Centrum, RUP Sportsite Sint-Janneke Herentals, and De markt in Hasselt projects.
• BochtwerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on RUP Hannekenshoek & Elandje Herentals project.
• SuuntacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration on Beleidsplan Ruimte Willebroek and Strategisch masterplan Willebroek projects.
• PlusOfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Ruimtelijk Rendement rond de luchthaven (Zaventem airport area), masterplan Florival, and Horizon+ strategic project.
• City DminorCollaboration on Strategisch masterplan Willebroek and De markt in Hasselt projects.
• OverlantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on RUP Sportsite Sint-Janneke Herentals project.
• Plant-&HoutgoedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Open oproep masterplan Florival project.
• VITOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on 'Waar woont de Vlaming in 2035?' project studying housing needs for the next 15 years.
• HIVA (KU Leuven)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with HIVA on housing needs study 'Waar woont de Vlaming in 2035?'.
• HoGentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Instrumentarium Bouwshift project analyzing local and provincial instruments for construction shift.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sweco: Large European engineering and design consultancy with Belgian urban planning and landscape architecture operations. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping spatial planning services to public-sector clients across Northern Europe.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with Belgian urban planning and landscape architecture practices serving municipal and infrastructure clients. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in the same Dutch/Belgian municipal advisory market.
• Tractebel: Major Belgian engineering consultancy (Engie group) with a substantial urban planning and spatial advisory practice. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping municipal planning capabilities as part of a much wider infrastructure and energy portfolio.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Global engineering consultancy with Belgian operations in spatial planning, urban design, and landscape architecture. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping Flemish and broader Benelux municipal planning capabilities.

Direct peers

• BRUT: Belgian spatial planning and design firm partnering with Spatie on Bilzen Visie Centrum and Masterplan Tessenderlo. Directly comparable as a same-niche Flemish consultancy serving municipal vision and masterplan mandates.
• Plot: Belgian urban design firm partnering with Spatie on Bilzen Visie Centrum, RUP Sportsite Sint-Janneke Herentals, and De markt in Hasselt. Directly comparable as a Flemish design firm with overlapping municipal project portfolio.
• Suunta: Flemish spatial planning consultancy collaborating with Spatie on Beleidsplan Ruimte Willebroek and Strategisch masterplan Willebroek. Directly comparable as a same-niche Belgian planning firm serving Flemish municipal policy plan mandates.
• LAMA: Belgian spatial planning partner collaborating with Spatie on the Brugge Openruimteplan and Beleidsplan Ruimte Willebroek. Directly comparable as a Flemish firm offering overlapping landscape and spatial planning services to municipal clients.
• BUUR (Bureau voor Urbanisme): Flemish spatial planning and urban design consultancy with deep expertise in strategic and spatial planning for Flemish municipalities. Directly comparable as Spatie's founders both previously worked at BUUR and operate in the same niche across the same client base.
• PlusOffice: Flemish architecture and urban design firm collaborating with Spatie on masterplan and strategic projects (e.g., masterplan Florival, Horizon+, Zaventem airport area). Directly comparable as a same-niche Flemish urban design partner with overlapping government client base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spatie-maakt-ruimte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spatie maakt ruimte