17 November 2025

Urgent question posed by François Benoy

The heavy rain that fell overnight between 8 and 9 September caused flooding in streets and basements, creating a worrying situation in the capital. The CGDIS (<em>Corps grand-ducal d'Incendie et de Secours </em>– Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps) responded to 89 calls in Luxembourg City. While the level of the Alzette remained lower than during the devastating floods of 2021, the threat is still real and calls for greater political vigilance.

While the City of Luxembourg and its workers did their best under these extraordinary circumstances, there has been some criticism of the political decision-makers.

A plan adopted two years ago by the Municipal Council to create two retention basins in the upper part of <em>Val de Hamm</em> was never enacted due to ongoing differences of opinion between the City and the relevant government authorities. This means that residents are still exposed to the risk of flooding. In addition, the City continues to seal large surfaces instead of decisively pursuing a policy of depaving.

• What specific steps has the College of Aldermen taken since 2021 to improve protection against flooding?
• Is there an integrated, updated flooding action plan? What specific measures are planned – specifically, retention basins, land restoration and so on?
• How is the City integrated into coordination with the High Commission for National Protection (<em>Haut-Commissariat à la protection nationale</em>) should any flooding occur?
• What tangible support does the City offer residents affected by flooding, and what improvements can be considered to better protect and support them? Is financial support available?
• Why have the two retention basins in <em>Val de Hamm</em> – which the Municipal Council decided to create – not been built yet? What exactly are the points of contention with the government authorities?
• How many surfaces have been depaved and how many have been sealed in Luxembourg City in the last few years, and what are the objectives for the coming years? Are there guidelines for the City's departments with the aim of reducing sealing?
• How is it possible that, just a few days after heavy rainfall, the City completely paved and therefore sealed a car park measuring more than 500 m² in Millewee in Gasperich instead of using this opportunity to create a permeable surface there, such as with artificial grass tiles or other solutions that allow water infiltration? Does the College of Aldermen agree with me that such a practice should not be repeated in the future?
• Does the College of Aldermen not still agree with me that the urban planning regulations must be urgently adapted in response to the climate crisis and in order to strengthen resilience to flooding?

Response provided by Mayor Lydie Polfer

The question about technical measures adopted by the City has already been addressed on numerous occasions during Municipal Council meetings. Anyone interested in this topic has had ample opportunity to get detailed information. I would like to remind you that four large public meetings were held two years after the floods of 2021. Alderwoman Beissel will revisit this in detail. So no one can really say that we haven't talked about flooding since 2021.

As for the case of <em>Val de Hamm</em>, on 28 June 2021 we decided to build a retention basin near the buildings belonging to the Schockmel company. It was supposed to be an open retention basin that overflows when it is full. This situation prompted disagreement between two government bodies. The Ministry of the Environment (<em>Ministère de l'Environnement</em>) believed that, in the event of severe flooding, the water should flow along the road across <em>Val de Hamm</em> in order to avoid causing major damage. The National Roads Administration (<em>Administration des ponts et chaussées</em>) categorically opposed this. Consequently, the retention basin wasn't built. In the meantime, the City of Luxembourg signed a preliminary sale agreement to purchase the buildings located on the site in question – namely a residential building and the company's buildings. There are plans to demolish these buildings to allow another solution to be implemented. Once this solution has been fully developed, it will be submitted to the Municipal Council. An open retention basin no longer makes sense because the location of the buildings practically creates a natural retention basin.

As far as the building regulations are concerned, there is the matter of finding out how many plots of land are water permeable – and this is the case for most of the city. As I have often emphasised before, the surface area of the capital represents around 2% of the total surface area of the country. More than half of this 2% is permeable, meaning that the land is covered in forests, meadows, parks and fields. For the remaining surface area (i.e. 1%), the building regulations contain very strict rules about sealing ground when buildings and roads are built. I assure you that compliance with these rules is assessed thoroughly for every building permit application that comes in. We will continue to work on adjusting our building regulations, but we plan to first wait to see what actions are taken at the national level. Our current building regulations already go quite far, such as with regard to gardens in front of houses and access roads.

The car park surface in Gasperich that Councillor Benoy mentioned was merely renovated because it had been in poor condition for a long time. No additional areas were sealed.

Response provided by Alderwoman Simone Beissel

We experienced heavy rainfall on 8 and 9 September 2025, but the consequences were not as severe as in July 2021. A lot has happened since 2021. We held four large informational meetings, each attended by at least 100 people. In addition to the representatives of our relevant departments, attendees included representatives of the Water Management Administration (<em>Administration de la gestion des eaux</em>) and the prominent German consultancy that offers advice across Europe on protecting against flooding and that provided detailed explanations on heavy rain, preventive measures and potential steps the national government and municipalities can take. Many municipal councillors also attended these meetings.

A whole series of measures was subsequently introduced. In terms of "integrated management", our internal departments – the <em>Service Canalisation</em> (Sewer Department), Environmental Officer, <em>Service Voirie</em> (Department of Streets), <em>Service Parcs</em> (Parks Department), <em>Service Forêts</em> (Forestry Department) – are involved, as is the City's Crisis Unit. As for "coordinated management", the City is represented by its authorities and its Crisis Unit in the national Crisis Unit, which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Home Affairs (<em>Ministère des Affaires intérieures</em>) and the High Commission for National Security (HCPN), and which also includes the CGDIS, Grand Ducal Police and Water Management Administration.

Detailed plans were immediately implemented. The emergency response plan (<em>Plan d'intervention d'urgence</em> – PIU) comprises 16 phases. The water level is monitored constantly throughout the city. Eight new sensors have been installed. The Crisis Unit is notified immediately in case of an incident. The College of Aldermen is notified whenever the pre-alert level is reached. Additional tools include the "flood risk management plan" ("Hochwasserrisiko-Managementplan") and the handbook that has been published nationwide since 2013.

The HCPN triggers the state of emergency at regional or national level, notifies the affected municipalities of the event and advises them on what action to take. There is a working group made up of the HCPN and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Given the population's growth in the last 30 years, regular analyses are conducted to ensure that the sewer system's capacity is keeping up with this growth in the city's districts. Since 2021, more than nine kilometres of sewers have been repaired or laid. On <em>Rue de Vianden</em>, for example, the diameter of the sewers was expanded from 1.00 to 1.30 metres.

There are currently 62 retention basins, and plans to create another 49. Each special development plan (<em>plan d'aménagement particulier</em> – PAP) requires that at least one retention basin be built. There are also 19 storm basins, and 9 more are in the planning stage.

In the event of a power failure, generators that can be transported on trailers are available. The City has an enormous stockpile of sand bags and has purchased flood barriers so it can respond as needed.

In addition to the advice and recommendations shared in autumn/winter 2021, the City contacted all the owners of the buildings located in a flood-risk zone and offered them a free consultation on bespoke preventive measures and on what to do in the event of a flood. As of now, 179 free expert assessments have been provided, and this offer is still valid.

Leaflets have been distributed and recommendations have been published in "City" magazine and on the City of Luxembourg website.

As far as depaving measures are concerned, we are careful to ensure rainwater drainage during new construction projects. This is done by either allowing the water to seep between the slabs or by installing additional gullies. We are installing twice as many drains as before. These drains need to be cleaned on an ongoing basis, and this is a lot of work for our departments in autumn, when the trees are losing their leaves.

It is recommended that roofs be greened to the extent possible.

New manhole covers are also being installed. When there is excessive pressure, rather than being launched upwards in an uncontrolled manner, these new ones rise and then fall in order to not cause damage.

If there is flooding, our relevant departments are mobilised to remove trees and debris from waterways, particularly around bridges.

The City will continue its efforts in this area.

François Benoy

If I understand correctly, the City is not pursuing any specific depaving target and has yet to include any new provisions on climate change mitigation in its building regulations. At this point, many people are unable to implement all the measures they would like to in terms of photovoltaic systems, heat pumps and insulation.

We never asked to get rid of the car park in Millewee in Gasperich. But we should have taken advantage of this renovation and carried out depaving work by converting this surface area of approximately 500 m² into an environmentally friendly car park. Why wasn't this done, and are there plans to do this in other locations?

Mayor Lydie Polfer

A single question put to the College of Aldermen should not spark an extensive discussion. I have provided Councillor Benoy with the answers to his questions. As far as the heat pumps are concerned, we are trying to flesh out the details of the applicable provisions in the building regulations. Existing buildings currently present a noise pollution problem because the heat pumps must be installed on the outside. However, the technology continues to evolve, and in the new buildings, the heat pumps will need to be installed on the inside. Rest assured that provisions of this sort will be written into the building regulations. But that is beyond the scope of a question put to the College of Aldermen. We would be happy to discuss this in detail during a meeting of the urban and economic development commission.

Question posed by Linda Gaasch

The "Luxembourg Urban Garden" (LUGA) horticultural exhibition, which just wrapped up, was an important event for Luxembourg City. This initiative required considerable financial investment and was a success with the public. However, I wonder about the long-term consequences for the city and its residents, and about the sustainability of the infrastructure and projects set up for LUGA.

• What is the College of Aldermen's preliminary overall assessment of LUGA: financially, organisationally and in terms of visitor numbers?
• What will the total final cost of LUGA be for the City?
• Was the objective of a pesticide-free, eco-friendly LUGA achieved? What future lessons did the College of Aldermen learn from the event?
• What fixtures and fittings, infrastructure or installations will be preserved after the event?
• Will the materials used during LUGA be reused, recycled or dismantled and stored?
• What will happen to specific projects that were created for LUGA, such as the "Mikrokosmos" in the municipal park?
• Does the City plan to hire some of the staff employed for LUGA to continue certain activities that were initiated for the event?

Response provided by Alderman Maurice Bauer

First of all, I would like to offer my warmest thanks to everyone who participated in LUGA, and I congratulate them for making it so successful. LUGA showed Luxembourg City in its best light.

LUGA closed on 18 October. The homestretch, which boasted a varied programme, turned out to be rather stressful. As a result, right now we cannot yet offer a final assessment.

LUGA was the first undertaking of this kind organised in Luxembourg to promote urban ecology, horticulture and agriculture, and we did an excellent job. Unlike events held in other countries, LUGA took place outdoors and in a host of different venues across the capital, and admission was free. More than 1,000 activities were on offer to the general public. Socially disadvantaged people were also included.

All the feedback we got from visitors, residents and our partners was positive. LUGA was an opportunity to educate people about urban ecology. It was an additional attraction for the city in the summer, and it brought residents together. It fostered social cohesion and association work. A diverse educational programme was offered to schools. LUGA enriched the cultural landscape. In drawing many visitors to the city, it certainly did not harm the hospitality and catering industry.

The collaboration between LUGA and the City's relevant departments and the Ministry of Agriculture (<em>Ministère de l'Agriculture</em>) was productive. The few minor problems that arose were quickly resolved.

Because LUGA was spread out across the city, it is hard to get precise visitor numbers, but the following statistics show that there was a lot of interest: the website recorded 500,000 visits, the social media accounts got 7.5 million views, and Google Maps got 1 million views. In addition, around 70,000 tickets were sold for the exhibitions, and around 150,000 leaflets were handed out.

Costs were shared equally between the City and the national government. The final detailed statements are not yet available. LUGA estimates that the available budget will not be used entirely, so a certain sum is expected to be repaid to the national government and the City.

Through an agreement signed with the City, all the planners, developers, presenters, caterers and other LUGA partners undertook to refrain from using pesticides, to conserve water and energy, to use biobased materials, to abide by the principles of the circular economy, to avoid waste and to not waste food. LUGA estimates that these commitments were generally upheld at a rate of 90%. The exceptions related to the irrigation measures required because the summer was very dry, and to the use of materials that were especially resistant to adverse weather.

To sum up, we can say that LUGA was a success. The City and national government demonstrated that they are capable of executing an outstanding project together. The teams worked hard and projected a positive image to the outside world.

Regarding the question about the components that will be preserved, the College of Aldermen reviewed the list, which contains around 50 items, and decided to keep a certain number of them. This includes the "Mikrokosmos", for example. It needs to be dismantled first because it is not winterproofed, but next year we plan to issue a call for tenders to create permanent infrastructure. The "Science Hub" will also be preserved. We still need to determine if it should remain on <em>Place Saint-Ulric</em> or be moved to another location. The beautiful gardens in front of the Fondation Pescatore site will also be preserved. We are working with the <em>Fédération Horticole</em> on this. An individual offered to maintain for free a steel installation representing plant roots that was erected on their land in Clausen, and this offer was happily accepted.

Other components will not be preserved because it would be nearly impossible to maintain them properly. I am referring specifically to an artificial pond near the "Stierchen" and to small gardens located opposite the new kiosk in the Pétrusse Valley. The "Lëtzebuerger Blannevereenegung" offered to dismantle the installations of these small gardens in order to rebuild them and maintain them in the organisation's own park in Rollingen/Mersch. The sites used in the capital will be restored to their original condition.

With regard to the materials used for LUGA, we are adhering to the principle of the circular economy. The materials are either being left where they were, used at another site, or dismantled and reused. The flowers and small trees were given away. Some technical equipment is being sold. As a last resort, materials that cannot be reused are being recycled. Removal is being done, in order of priority, by the City and the national government, LUGA's partner associations, other associations and individuals.

Discussions were held with our <em>Direction Ressources humaines</em> (Human Resources Directorate) to determine how many of the people who were hired temporarily for LUGA could potentially be employed permanently by the City. One person was hired at the Cinémathèque. Discussions are underway with other people. I want to point out that some of the people in question will continue to work for LUGA until 2026 in order to complete the final tasks, particularly those related to winding down the LUGA ASBL association.

LUGA gave Luxembourg City a chance to shine, and I want to again thank everyone who was involved in it.

Question posed by François Benoy

When it comes to bike racks, we have recently seen progress, which we are delighted about even though there is still some room for improvement. Some areas of the city, such as the city centre, Bonnevoie and Limpertsberg, have many homes without garages, and that makes it hard for those residents to park their bikes. Although some large bike lockers have already been installed, there still aren't many of them, and they are not always practical because users sometimes need to travel some distance to access their bikes. I would like to put the following questions to the College of Aldermen:

Bike racks

• How many bike racks has the City installed so far?
• In what districts or specific locations do you believe there is still an urgent need for additional infrastructure?
• What projects are planned in the short and medium terms to fill these gaps?

Bike shelters / lockers

• How would you assess the existing shelters? How many are there now?
• What are the plans to install new shelters? Are there plans to install multiple small bike lockers – for example, the size of a parking space – in different districts, rather than several large centralised units, in order to make access easier for residents? We should recall that we've already discussed this type of solution – namely, during the Municipal Council discussions on the roadworks on <em>Rue Pierret</em>.

Parking and regulation

• We have observed that the City's <em>Service Voirie</em> places notices on some bikes it believes are improperly parked. What is the regulatory basis for this practice?
• Wouldn't it be more effective to install more bike parking in these areas rather than disciplining users?

Response provided by Alderman Patrick Goldschmidt

I would like to thank Councillor Benoy for his positive comments on the number of bike racks. I will make sure to pass them on to the relevant departments.

Councillor Benoy noted correctly that we have been getting more requests to install bike racks and lockers. The City's policy for many years has been to install bike racks near strategic locations in public spaces, where there are many potential users – at bus stops, train stations, schools, public buildings and so on. As of October 2025, the City had 266 bike parking locations, providing a total of 3,041 parking spaces for bikes. Thirty-six of these locations are not in public spaces but rather in schoolyards, for example. The Neipperg car park has 46 parking spaces for bikes, the Martyrs car park has 32, and the Knuedler car park has 68. The City regularly receives messages from residents of the Gare district who are happy to be able to park their bike somewhere that is safe and clean. The city centre is well equipped in terms of the number of bike racks. In the coming weeks and months, we hope to install more than 300 additional bike racks across the capital. The City is constantly analysing bike parking, and based on its findings, the decision to install additional bike racks will be taken as applicable. In many places, the old bike racks have now been replaced by new ones that are better suited to the types of bikes people typically use nowadays, such as e-bikes and cargo bikes.

The four bike lockers located in Luxembourg City are managed by the CFL. A few years ago, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works (<em>Ministère de la Mobilité et des Travaux publics</em>) developed a strategy stipulating the installation of these lockers near multimodal platforms or in locations deemed appropriate by the City. The lockers in question are located near the LuxExpo, <em>Dernier Sol</em> in Bonnevoie, on <em>Place du Théâtre</em> and near Hall Victor Hugo, where many buildings do not have garages. According to the feedback we have received, these bike lockers are not used a lot. The City is receiving more and more requests from people who cannot park their bikes in their own garages or who are forced to store their bikes in their apartments. The relevant municipal departments are currently looking at solutions adopted in other countries. The installation of a bike locker requires more space than one or two parking spaces for cars. Lockers are around two metres high and must be wide enough to accommodate several bikes. Bike lockers do not need to be privatised. We need to figure out how users can access them. For example, will the lockers be locked with a key? Will they be opened using a chip card? So far, we have not found an optimal solution with regard to installing bike lockers across the whole city. Nevertheless, I hope we will find a solution. We would like to install quite big bike lockers because the installation of small lockers would amount to privatising them.

The last question was about putting written notices on bikes deemed to be improperly parked in public spaces. One photo shows a bike attached to a bench. In addition to preventing people from sitting on one part of the bench, this can damage the street furniture. In this regard, the <em>Service Voirie</em> is invoking Article 2 of the General Regulations on Public Order and Safety (<em>Règlement général de police</em>) of 26 March 2001, which stipulates that road users must not "hinder free movement on the public thoroughfare without a legitimate reason or without special authorisation", and Article 37 of these regulations, which stipulates that road users must not "damage public thoroughfares and their structures either intentionally or due to carelessness”. The notices are not fine notices but merely a friendly observation from the <em>Service Voirie</em>. The issuance of this notice lets the <em>Service Circulation</em> (Traffic Department) know that there are not enough parking spaces for bikes in a given location. We cannot create 10 parking spaces for bikes on every street corner, but we have added many spaces in the last few years and will continue to do so in the future.