Experimenting in Ghent, replicating in Europe
In Ghent the Rewild the City project investigates where and how desealing and greening can accelerate. Other European cities, including Helsinki, Wrocław and Guimarães, will investigate how to implement the solutions in their own regions. Will you join the knowledge network?
Ghent
With its 270,000 inhabitants and a size of almost 160 km², Ghent is Belgium's third largest city. On top of that, the city has just under 90,000 students every year. This makes Ghent the largest student city in Flanders.
To allow as many Ghent residents as possible to enjoy green space, the City of Ghent has developed a green standard. This states that every resident is entitled to a park of at least 1 ha within 400 meters of his or her house. Besides a lot of smaller parks, there are more than 60 parks of this size in the city today. In addition, every resident of Ghent has a nature reserve of at least 100 ha within cycling distance. Eight green climate axes should connect all these places for walkers and cyclists. Watercourses with green banks add extra oxygen to the city. Residents are given a push to green the city as well. Ghent supports the construction of vertical gardens and green roofs, breaking up paving and installing rainwater tanks.
Greening in densely built-up neighbourhoods
Through all these initiatives, Ghent is arming itself more and more against heat, drought and flooding. But there is room for improvement. Especially the densely built-up neighbourhoods just outside the city centre need extra greenery and less paving. In some neighbourhoods soil sealing runs up to 80%, while many inhabitants do not have their own garden in these areas. The three neighbourhoods chosen as experimental sites for Rewild the City all fit that profile. The City is therefore keen to use this project to explore how it can enthuse and support residents to step up a gear in terms of desealing and greening, especially in neighbourhoods like these. Cocreation is crucial!
Helsinki
The capital of Finland is the most populous city of the country, home to about 685,000 inhabitants. Located in the southern province of Uusimaa, the municipality spans over 217 km² of land and 502 km² of sea. With a Baltic Seashoreline of 131 km and 327 islands, Helsinki is characterized by its maritime environment.
The municipality owns almost 65% of the land, with green spaces governed by the municipality forming around 34% of Helsinki’s land area. The ownership of the rest is divided between the state, private landowners, housing companies and other entities.
Urban greening in residential areas
Helsinki is focused on enhancing urban green spaces, specifically in residential areas. Recently, the green area factor was introduced into the building code. Another one, for districts, is being prepared. This should strengthen green structures in land use planning. However, adaptive urban greening initiatives in existing residential areas are lacking.
As a significant portion of existing residential outdoor areas are resident-owned, the city must adopt best practices for improving the climate resilience of neighbourhoods, for instance by engaging in greening initiatives with stakeholders such as housing companies. To tackle this, Helsinki’s existing energy advice service for housing companies will broaden to provide advice onadapting to climate change.
Just climate adaptation
One of the main ambitions is to implement just climate adaptation strategies that mitigate urban differentiation. Therefore, one focus is to promote greening initiatives that empower residents and are attainable for more vulnerable households. The Rewild the City project provides the municipality an opportunity to test and develop practical solutions for challenges related to urban resilience, sustainable living, and environmental equity in the context of Helsinki’s privately owned land.
Guimarães
The city ofGuimarães is located in northern Portugal, in the South of Europe. It is partof the Ave sub-region, one of the most industrialized areas in the country. The municipality spans 242.85 km² and has approximately 156,830 inhabitants.
Around 40% of Guimarães’ urban area is covered by green spaces. Forests represent nearly half of the municipality’s territory. The city continuously invests in biodiversity protection, promoting ecological corridors and strengthening green infrastructure. Initiatives such as the annual planting of 2,000 trees, the development of community gardens, and the rehabilitation of waterlines contribute to the ecological cohesion of the territory.
Engaging young residents
One of Guimarães’ main challenges is ensuring equitable access to green and blue infrastructure, particularly in peripheral neighborhoods such as Emboladoura, where social vulnerability, energy poverty, and environmental risks converge. To mobilize citizens and foster a sense of belonging, Guimarães is implementing co-creation strategies that engage especially young residents in the transformation of public space.
Public spaces as areas of connection and climate resilience
Guimarães sees the Rewild the City project as an opportunity to further its just climate transition, through the implementation of nature-based solutions in vulnerable areas. The city’s ambition is to co-create a solid methodology that can be tested and adapted to the Emboladoura neighborhood, empowering youth, enhancing biodiversity, and transforming public space into areas of connection and climate resilience. The project will be considered successful if it helps rebuild trust, inspires civic action, and results in environmental improvements that reflect the needs of the local community.
Wrocław
The third largest city in Poland is located in the southwest of the country, in the heart of the Lower Silesian Voivodship. The city covers an area of 292.82 km² and has about 674,000 inhabitants. With its 12 islands and 112 bridges, Wroclaw is called the City of 100 Bridges.
Wroclaw'slocation on the river Oder significantly influences its landscape, water conditions and microclimate. Less than 40% of the city area is made up of green spaces. Within the city, 12% are green protected areas. These are increasing year after year.
Challenges and solutions
Wroclaw's climatic conditions show characteristics typical of large urban-industrial agglomerations. Together with the city's growth, economic activities, and excessive sealing of the land, they affect air and water quality, a decline in biodiversity or the phenomenon of the urban heat island.
In order to reduce the negative effects, the City of Wroclaw invests in blue-green infrastructure, greening streets and courtyards, biodiversity protection, renewable energy, sewerage systems and rainwater management.
Engaging local stakeholders
High temperature, intense rainfalls and strong winds are the biggest challenges in Wroclaw’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The City creates spatial, social and economic structures prepared for these phenomena. With a strong focus on rainwater management and unsealing the land, nature-based solutions are an important tool.
Wroclaw sees the Rewild the City project as an opportunity to learn about greening streets and gain knowledge in terms of nature-based solutions. The biggest challenge would be engaging local stakeholders in the co-creation process. The City is also eager to learn how to start rewilding private properties.
Join the knowledge network
Municipalities from all over Europe share their expertise and join forces to create greener cities.
Lots of cities and municipalities in Europe are facing the same challenges as the partner cities within Rewild the City. That is why we are setting up an online knowledge network around the themes of desealing and greening. Members will share their expertise, showcase successful examples and pose their questions to the others. In this way, we are working together towards a greener Europe.
Would you and your municipality like to join the knowledge network?
Feel free to send a message to rewild@stad.gent