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Borluut Living Garden – Ghent Living Gardens

Since 2012, Ghent has been experimenting with the Living Streets programme on how an alternative street layout can create a stronger neighbourhood feeling. In 2020, the temporary living streets were expanded to include three living gardens. A living garden, just like a living street, is always created at the initiative of the local residents. The living garden at Borluut, a social housing block on Watersportbaan, was supported by the city in cooperation with Samenlevingsopbouw vzw.

The project meets various needs, mainly the desire for more frequent encounters. The neighbourhood predominantly consists of social housing and large apartment complexes, so there is a high demand for quality outdoor space. Social tenants are the main users of the living garden, but residents of the surrounding houses also drop in, for example, to maintain the herb garden.
In the Borluut living garden, activities to engage the neighbourhood are fully underway, but even without these initiated neighbourhood activities, people who have been living next door to each other for years are growing closer. The Covid-19 period increased the urgency of the garden: bored children as well as lonely elderly people were invited to talk to their neighbours in the living garden and enjoy some fresh air.

These temporary living streets offer the perfect platform for the city to experiment with an adapted infrastructure, alternative forms of mobility, local and remote parking, greenery in the streetscape, etc. They offer an ideal opportunity for citizens and residents to get to know all the neighbours better and to create more space to spend time outdoors, especially for those who do not have their own garden.

theme
management, housing, mobility
innovative aspects
ownership, good citizenship, policy innovation, cultural change, solidarity
scale
street


slideshow
A living garden full of activities
In the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.

A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
A living garden full of activities
A living garden full of activitiesIn the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.

A living garden full of activities
In the summer of 2020, the living garden became a very popular meeting place for many residents of Borluut and its surroundings, where numerous activities took place for all ages.
Living streets in Ghent
videoLiving streets in Ghent
A living street is a place where people get to know each other, a street where life is lived according to the wishes of the people who live there. Living streets try to create spaces where people can live side by side once more.


Living streets in Ghent

A living street is a place where people get to know each other, a street where life is lived according to the wishes of the people who live there. Living streets try to create spaces where people can live side by side once more.



photo: Stad Gent, Gent 2018

articleThe Living Street - experimenting with the city of the future
As a result of the initial years of the living street experiments, the temporary citizens' platform Lab van Troje compiled a brochure, which bundled experiences and opinions. For everyone who wants to contribute to the replication of living streets, participation and co-creation.




photo: Lab van Troje, 2018