Roeser borders the capital and is also close to Esch-sur-Alzette. The municipality is therefore experiencing very significant population growth and is doing its utmost to accommodate it while preserving the quality of life for all and the rural character of the area.

Located south of Luxembourg and less than 20 kilometres fromEsch-sur-AlzetteThe municipality of Roeser is attracting increasing interest. Its seven villages (Roeser, Crauthem, Peppange, Livange, Bivange, Berchem and Kockelscheuer) have experienced significant population growth since the 1970s. "At that time, a large part of the population that lived in the city wanted to move to the countrysidesays Tom Jungen, mayor of Roeser. The growth has continued steadily since then: from 2800-2900 people in the 1970s, we went to 3000 in the 1980s, 3500 in 1993, to 6200 people today. So the population has doubled in less than 40 years.

According to the mayor of Roeser, this situation, which until a few years ago was the prerogative of the peripheral municipalities of Luxembourg, has now spread to the whole of Luxembourg. "The difference that used to be made between the centre-south and the north is no longer validhe says. This is linked to the fact that Luxembourg is a small country. Wherever you are located, you are never far from the capital.

Ensuring the quality of life of the inhabitants

In Roeser, various practices have been in place for decades to properly absorb the new inhabitants who regularly move into the municipality. "Our priority is to maintain the quality of life of the people who live heresays Tom Jungen. This requires a good balance between the number and quality of infrastructures on the one hand, and the preservation of the rural character of the community on the other. After all, Roeser is also a place where people come to live because of its natural surroundings.

To achieve this, significant investments have been made over the past 10 years. In particular, the strengthening of childcare facilities such as crèches and halfway houses has put an end to waiting lists. "We provide almost 100% reception for the children of the commune".says the mayor. To continue this effort, a brand new school campus is being built in Berchem. This 29 million euro investment will provide 300 additional places in basic education, 350 places in a halfway house, and 66 places in a new centre for differentiated education.

In order to ensure a good quality of life for the residents, the municipality of Roeser will also start building a second sports hall in the coming years. This will provide space for both clubs and schools. Finally, health care is not a problem in Roeser: the proximity of the hospitals in Esch and Luxembourg and the presence of numerous specialists in the municipality offer sufficient possibilities to the inhabitants. "The only downside is the local tradesays Tom Jungen. Our butcher has retired and a bank and the Post office have recently closed. It is very difficult to afford premises for this type of activity in the commune. We are therefore thinking of acquiring some premises ourselves to enable interested traders to start up their business at more affordable rental prices.

Mobility at the cutting edge

In addition to its exceptional location, Roeser can count on a plethora of mobility options. "We expect a new station to be built in Berchem by 2020says the mayor. With the construction of the new Luxembourg-Bettembourg line, the current station has lost some of its attractiveness. In the long term, we will still be six minutes from Luxembourg station and three minutes from Howald station which, with the arrival of the tram, will become an important hub for mobility to Luxembourg.

The municipality is also crossed by three bus lines, which pass through the various villages in the area at regular intervals. However, the mayor of Roeser would like to give more space to soft mobility in his municipality. "In 2020, 1,000 people will be working in the Luxite business park in Kockelscheuerhe explains. We would like people who work there to be able to move to the municipality and travel to work by public transport or even by bike. Berchem and the village of Kockelscheuer are very close by, so it is quite possible to get there by bike.

The housing challenge

Housing new residents is a challenge for a community like Roeser. More precisely, the responsibility of municipalities today is to enable middle-class people to buy their own homes, which is not easy in view of the soaring property prices. "We have recently modified a single-family house to create two initial social housing units. The former presbytery in Peppange will also be converted to provide three social housing units for rent.says Tom Jungen.

However, in order to offer families wishing to settle down the possibility of buying their own property, the municipality of Roeser has also planned to lease land on a 23-hectare area between Bivange and Berchem. "We really want to work on the development of these plots of land together with the Housing Fund or the National Low-Cost Housing Company, the residents and private players. It is an area that is almost the same size as the upper part of Bivange and Berchem. It is therefore a question of not suffocating these two localities. Initially, we will consult the inhabitants to identify their expectations and collect their suggestions. In any case, we want to include playgrounds, a park, and spaces for soft mobility, especially for getting to the Berchem station.

As we can see, the issue of housing is all the more delicate when we want to maintain the balance between increasing housing capacity and preserving the rural character of an area. Let us hope that the municipality of Roeser will be able to achieve this.