International partners of ReGreeneration project visit Ghent
From 4 to 6 May 2026, Ghent hosted the sixth partner meeting of the European ReGreeneration project.
During these three days, Ghent welcomed international partners involved in the European ReGreeneration project. ReGreeneration is a European Union-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe programme, bringing together nine European cities over a period of four years. Its aim is to design, test and replicate innovative approaches to urban regeneration in neighbourhoods that face climate-related and social challenges.
Within ReGreeneration, the participating cities are experimenting with ways to green and revitalise densely populated areas through nature-based solutions, co-creation with citizens, and digital tools. The project seeks to strengthen climate resilience, enhance biodiversity, and improve overall quality of life.
Pilot and replicator cities
The four pilot cities Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France), Alverca (Portugal) and Bucharest (Romania) are taking the lead by implementing pilot projects in vulnerable, polluted or car-dominated neighbourhoods and brownfield sites, with the ambition of transforming them into green, accessible urban areas. Their experiences are shared with and replicated by five ‘replicator cities’ — Ghent (Belgium), Rome (Italy), Lappeenranta (Finland), Segrate (Italy) and Ljubljana (Slovenia) — which face similar challenges. ReGreeneration runs from 2024 through to 2027.
Day one: welcome and inspiration
This was the sixth partner meeting of the project, and the first to take place in a replicator city.
On Monday afternoon, participants were welcomed in the City Council room with an introduction by the team of Ghent, the project coordinator Inetum, and an inspiring speech by Ghent’s Deputy Mayor for Nature and Green Spaces, Bram Van Braeckevelt. Project partners Placemaking Europe and C40 Cities, both active in urban planning and participation, facilitated an interactive introduction, setting an energetic tone for a programme filled with workshops, presentations and site visits.
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The afternoon continued with:
- pitch presentations by the project partners
- an exploration of AI dashboards by Inetum
- a presentation of some projects in Ghent in preparation of the site visits the following day
The day concluded with a visit to the Floraliën and an exhibition by project partner Viaverda on the importance of biodiverse green spaces in the Palmarium.
Day two: site visits and exchange
On Tuesday morning, the project partners were guided through the 19th-century belt, a densely populated area under increasing pressure from the climate crisis. The site visits focused on the three core pillars of ReGreeneration:
- Complete neighbourhoods
Transforming urban areas into compact neighbourhoods where essential services are within easy reach and accessible to all. - Public space for and by the local community
Co-creating public spaces with residents to shape vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods that reflect the identity, aspirations and needs of the community. - Nature-based urban solutions
Implementing regenerative, nature-based innovations that reduce climate risks while enhancing biodiversity, health and well-being.
Hands-on examples in Ghent
The day started at the former Fluvius industrial site at Ham, where partners were introduced to a substrate experiment within the European ‘Rewild the City’ project. Here, the City of Ghent, together with Ghent Environmental Front (Gents MilieuFront), Ghent University and the non-profit organisation Viaverda, is exploring effective methods for desealing urban areas. The key question: how does new vegetation develop when different types of rubble remain in the soil after removing pavement?
This visit led into a stop at the FNO site, where a similar pilot project will soon be launched in collaboration with Viaverda and Gents MilieuFront. The focus here is on planting techniques in polluted and rubble-filled soil, as well as mapping existing vegetation and potential seed banks. This approach aligns with the Nature Network Plan for the Bloemekenswijk, with active involvement of residents through initiatives such as a BioBlitz.
During a walk through Bloemekenspark, Daniël Vernooy guided the group through the history of the former industrial site and the role of the historic watercourse, the Lieve. Along the way, the group also stopped at the eastern warehouse on the FNO site, which will be transformed this summer into a vibrant meeting space for the urban sports community, organised by Ghent Basketball.
The final site visit took place in the Muide-Meulestede neighbourhood, where co-creation was central, with initiatives such as Werf Vergroening. Maarten Merveille led a walk from the small square on Vorkstraat via Manchesterplein to Victor Carpentier school — the perfect lead-in to the afternoon’s brainstorming session.
Co-creation and joint solutions
After lunch, partners worked together to develop solutions to challenges related to greening narrow streets and fostering participation. This was followed by continued work on the development of the ‘replicator methodology’, with discussions between pilot and replicator cities generating valuable insights and learning experiences.
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Day three: reflection and outlook
On the final day of the partner meeting in Ghent, partners reflected on the previous activities as well as the upcoming challenges and next steps within the project. Discussions took place within each work package, alongside a joint feedback session. In addition, participants took part in an insightful workshop on data ingestion, the use of Google reviews, and making predictions based on data models (forecasting).
Conclusion
The partner meeting in Ghent offered an inspiring mix of knowledge exchange, hands-on experience and international collaboration. It marked an important step in the shared ambition to create sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient cities across Europe.
