The territory has a surface area of 35 km2, consisting broadly of one-third housing, one-third forest and one-third industry and brownfield sites.
The city has a strong industrial heritage, known for being the birthplace of the steel industry. Indeed, coal mining, blast-furnaces and coking plants have shaped the landscape of the city since the 19th century. However this flourishing industrial activity is nowadays declining and has led the city to face challenges of scale in economic, social, environmental and urban fields. In response, the city has developed a master plan for the redevelopment and urban renewal. It is a long-term plan, spanning 40 years, which, through the construction of new infrastructure (buildings and roads) and reallocation of industrial halls and existing brownfields, will provide to the city an attractive landscape and improve quality of life.
Sustainable development and evolution towards a territory emitting few greenhouse gases are also among the priorities of the city of Seraing, which was one of the first Walloon cities to achieve a carbon footprint of its territory in 2009. From a city strongly marked by industrial activities, Seraing is building its future to become a Smart and sustainable post-industrial city, worthy of interest.