In Flanders, 11.1% of commercial premises are currently empty. In 2020, the Flemish Government proposed the plan ‘Werk aan de Winkel’: an initiative to support local businesses, from which the Profploeg emerged.
The Profploeg is a team of experts, advising local authorities on spatial planning, e-commerce, real estate, events, social media or urban logistics. The aim of the Profploeg is to stimulate the policy of industriousness by providing targeted advice and guidance. PTA is responsible for the urbanism and spatial planning component.
The Profploeg is an initiative of VLAIO and a total of 82 municipalities in Flanders have started the project.