Site visit: densification in Ghent, Belgium

As part of the PLPR 2022 conference in Ghent, we visited one of the city's main ongoing densification projects - project Tondelier. The project's communication officer guided our tour on behalf of the City of Ghent. Tondelier includes the development of over 500 new housing units of various types and sizes in a former industrial area with two old gasometers. Due to its use as a site for gas production, an initial investment to decontaminate the ground was an absolute necessity before any new development could occur. Therefore, the city of Ghent, as the landowner, brought in a private developer to take care of the decontamination and carry the development's financial risk. Together with housing, a new public park is developed as a new green amenity for Tondelier's future residents but also for the existing residents of the surrounding neighbourhood.

The difficulties faced by the city of Ghent in developing Tondelier into an attractive, inclusive, and affordable new neighbourhood are not unique. Despite the land being in public ownership, collaboration with private actors is necessary to secure the required investment and know-how. The municipality included regulations on the availability of more affordable and accessible housing options for lower-income classes. However, compromises had to be made to meet the developer's demands. Due to delays in the planning and development processes, just over 100 housing units have been completed. Moreover, the city could not avoid resistance from surrounding residents against the new development, which shows the difficulties of including everyone in the planning process.

All in all, it was a very insightful and informative visit that made us reflect once more on the challenges of inner-city development. We thank the City of Ghent and the PLPR Conference for organizing the excursion.

For more info, see Project Tondelier (only in Dutch)