Antwerpen Green Street Delta
Photo: In Antwerpen, streets are made green in close collaboration with citizens . Photographer: Margot Vingerhoedt.
The INNATURE Demo Case 2 focuses on greening the streets of low-rise urban areas in Antwerpen, Belgium, using a commons-based approach that fosters social cohesion, inclusion, and collective stewardship. Garden streets will be implemented in two clusters in the Borgerhout district, a densely built-up neighbourhood with significantly fewer permeable surfaces and higher exposure to air pollution compared to the rest of the city.
These interventions aim to transform underused and highly paved public spaces into greener, healthier, and more climate-resilient environments that benefit both residents and urban biodiversity. By introducing vegetation, permeable surfaces, and shared green infrastructure, the project seeks to reduce heat stress, improve rainwater infiltration, and enhance local air quality. At the same time, the garden streets will function as accessible community spaces where neighbours can meet, collaborate, and actively participate in shaping and maintaining their living environment. Residents, local organisations, and city stakeholders will be involved throughout the design, implementation, and stewardship process, ensuring that the interventions respond to local needs and priorities.
The commons-based approach encourages long-term community ownership and strengthens social networks within the neighbourhood. Through co-creation activities and shared maintenance responsibilities, the project supports inclusion across different age groups and cultural backgrounds while increasing awareness of sustainable urban living. Ultimately, Demo Case 2 demonstrates how nature-based solutions can simultaneously address environmental challenges and improve social well-being in dense urban neighbourhoods such as Borgerhout.
Contacts: koen@commonslab.be
Main collaborators:
University of Antwerp
City of Antwerpen, District of Borgerhout
Natuurpunt
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