Ghent kicks off Rewild the City

Date

20/6/25

Written by

City of Ghent

Category

News

The different partners have been working passionately for several months, but on Wednesday, June 11, Rewild the City got off to a flying start with the official kick-off of the project.

Some 100 attendees, varying from project members to experts from various fields, heard the Rewild partners reveal their dreams and ambitions. And there are many! The rate of soil sealing must decline quickly, we must be able to easily set priorities, rules must be more flexible and, above all, more residents and companies should get on board. 'Ghent is not doing badly,' according to Anton Christiaens of Breekijzer and Annelies Sevenant of Gents MilieuFront. 'But there is a lot of room for improvement as well. Things could be a lot more ambitious. And that is where Rewild the City should play an important role.’

From left to right: Joyce Verdonck (presenter), Tom Coppens (University of Antwerp), Suzanne Van Brussel (DRUM, Hogent), Sven De Visscher (Eco-city, Hogent), Emma Martens (UGent), Anton Christiaens (Breekijzer), Annelies Sevenant (GentsMilieuFront) and Linde Vertriest (City of Ghent).

Out in the streets

The kick-off took place at De Centrale and that was no coincidence: the venue is located in the Sluizeken-Tolhuis-Ham area, 1 of the 3 neighborhoods in which Rewild the City is experimenting, and is within walking distance of the former Fluvius site. These old factory grounds are being desealed as part of this project. Ideal to take the visitors outside for a guided tour and an information market on topics such as biodiversity, fair greening and financing desealing projects.

In the evening, it was up to the people of Ghent! No less than 250 enthusiasts preferred the cinema of De Centrale to a terrace in the sun and were fully inspired by the wild nature of Berlin, during the screening of the documentary Natura Urbana. They certainly are ready to rewild!

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