The Léopold district became part of the City of Brussels under the Law of 7 April 1853, reducing the surface are of commune of Saint-Josse ten Noode by half while Brussels grew by 194 ha. The urbanisation of this district began in 1837 when the Civil Society was created in order to develop and beautify the city of Brussels. Consequently, the architect Tilman-François Suys stamped his architectural imprint on the district.

In 1875, the creation of the Squares district in the same area as the Léopold district thus completed the eastern extension of the city. In this part of the city, the architect Gédéon Bordiau designed a row of three squares: Marie Louise, Ambiorix and Marguerite.

In 1913, the Léopold park became part of the city of Brussels, creating an area of 13 ha at the expense of the municipalities of Ixelles and Etterbeek.