Antwerp – A city taking things slow

31 October 2022

Explore how Antwerp revived neglected areas through small, thoughtful steps — from affordable housing to large-scale urban renewal shaped by citizens.

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Instead of a fast-paced urban development, Antwerp deliberately chose a considered approach that incorporates ground views and flexibility for changes along the way. In this photo essay, we examine how Antwerp take things slow in small, medium and large ways.

Small interventions for affordable housing

In the 1990s and 2000s, several neighbourhoods close to Antwerp's city centre suffered from neglect and population loss. The once vibrant and folksy neighbourhoods such as Sailors Quarters lost their appeal to quieter ones outside of Antwerp's ring road. With the moving of many industrial uses to outside of the city, it left behind a series of abandoned industrial buildings often unsanitary and dangerous.

AG VESPA (opens in new tab) is an autonomous public developer that aims to identify and redevelop such vacant/dilapidated plots into affordable housing units. It consciously searches for locations that are too small, dirty or complex to attract private developers. A key aspect of AG VESPA's development strategy is to engage young architects to test ideas and boost their careers.

Small-scale projects with high architectural quality serve as urban acupuncture that can further catalyse rejuvenation and private initiatives. The proceeds from the sales of the rejuvenated buildings are then reinvested into new projects in a form of a rolling fund. The initiative triggers the upgrading of 'difficult' neighbourhoods and has the power to transform entire districts.

A white multi-story building with black roof, balconies, and a yellow sign reading "Met Bediening 07u00 tot 21u00."

Two red bicycles parked at a rack on a cobblestone plaza with a modern white building and older brick buildings behind.

Before and after: A former rundown petrol station at the corner of Provinciestraat that was of no interest to private investors was bought and rebuilt by AG VESPA and turned into a new apartment building. It was sold in 2017. © stad Antwerpen/AG VESPA

A cobblestone street runs alongside an old brick viaduct with arched openings used as garages and shops.

A street lined with an ornate red brick and stone arched viaduct with decorative ironwork railing above.

Before and after: Derelict units in an underpass along Engelselei (Borgerhout) were renovated to offer spaces for creatives and start-ups © stad Antwerpen/AG VESPA

Urban street intersection with tram tracks, multi-story buildings, overhead wires, parked cars, and a partly cloudy sky.

Architectural rendering of a large multi-story brick and beige building on a city corner with a person and car on the street.

Before and after: Fierenshoven in the city centre was built in 1939 and perceived as a well-preserved example of interbellum-modernism but remained vacant for years. It is being renovated to offer 122 affordable rental housing units. © stad Antwerpen/AG VESPA

A gravel courtyard surrounded by red brick multi-story buildings with wooden balconies under a partly cloudy sky.

A former warehouse turned into collective housing project in Florastraat, Borgerhout © stad Antwerpen/AG VESPA

Modern red brick residential buildings with wooden doors, two parked cars on a cobblestone street, clear blue sky.

Four energy-efficient residential units on a former rundown corner in Borgerhout © stad Antwerpen/AG VESPA

Medium-sized urban voids, rejuvenated

There was a lack of an overall urban planning strategy for the long term in Antwerp. At the end of the 1980s, with pressure from civil society and experts, the city acknowledged that more long-term solutions need to developed, especially in the neglected port areas such as het Eilandje (the Islet), Scheldekaaien (Scheldt Quays), and adjacent port railway infrastructure such as Spoor Noord and Nieuw Zuid (New South).

Tapping on the European Regional Development Fund and funding from Belgian and Flemish governments, Antwerp was able to implement the first urban renewal projects in areas such as the Central Station area, Schipperskwartier (Sailor's Quarter) and Spoor Noord. These efforts cumulated in the 2006 Strategic Spatial Plan Antwerp (opens in new tab) that introduced 'renovatio urbis' (or slow urbanism) – renewal of the city through interventions in public space.

Aerial view of a busy European port city with a river, ships, dense buildings, crowds, and cranes visible.

Aerial view of a large city with a wide river curving through dense urban buildings, docks, and warehouses.

Before and after: Het Eilandje is a historic harbour neighbourhood that degenerated at the end of the 20th century. It is today a lively urban quarter. © stad Antwerpen

Wide open yard with stacked steel rails on bare ground, a red brick building on the left, and overcast sky.

Two men in suits walk along a cobblestone path in a tree-lined urban park, with a cyclist and tall building visible.

Before and after: Spoor Noord used to a railway yard and disconnected neighbourhoods. The new 17ha Park Spoor Noord provides much needed green space in a densely populated area. © stad Antwerpen/Damien Woon

Aerial view of a dense European city block with red brick buildings, courtyards, trees, and roads.

Aerial view of a large historic red brick complex with courtyards, autumn trees, and a dense European city surrounding it.

Before and after: The Green Quarter was a disused military hospital and now home to over 400 families, and houses a Michelin-star restaurant among other local businesses. © stad Antwerpen

A large historic building with a mansard roof sits along a waterfront with parked cars and a white boat docked nearby.

A futuristic glass and steel structure cantilevered above a classic brick building on a wide paved plaza.

Before and after: The Port House was an old firehouse that became the office for some 500 employees of the Port of Antwerp. The stunning new addition by Zaha Hadid Architects overlooks the harbour. © stad Antwerpen

Abandoned red brick industrial building with a rusty roof, graffiti on walls, a light pole in front, under a cloudy sky.

Family crossing a zebra crossing in front of the Red Star Line brick building with a modern glass tower behind.

Before and after: The historic harbour sheds of the shipping company Red Star Line, where millions of Europeans passed through enroute to America were transformed into the Red Star Line Museum, where stories of migration are showcased. © stad Antwerpen

Large-scale reconfiguration of the city

Antwerp's ring road is a major infrastructure that divides the city into its inner and outer parts. It also disconnects residents in the former from greenery. For two decades, plans to close the ring road loop have reached a deadlock due to severe opposition over the disamenities of increased traffic, air and noise pollution.

A group of local citizens from various backgrounds gathered to propose the idea of covering the ring road as a sustainable solution for improved mobility, living conditions and increased greenery. What was a confrontational situation was thus turned into a long-term collaboration that could benefit from citizen involvement and knowledge.

To do things 'slow', the city appointed an independent curator backed by a design team to oversee the project and engage with some 4,000 citizens. To do things 'small', the city divided the massive project into six smaller sections and called for international design teams with a multidisciplanry mix to work on each section.

Aerial night view of a lit city with glowing streets, a river, and clouds above.

A bird's eye view of Antwerp, showing the ring road that separates the inner city from the outer city. © stad Antwerpen

Five people gather around a table covered with a large map and cards, with a green chalkboard visible behind them.

The design teams, assisted by the city's experts, were mandated to co-create the projects in their sections with citizens. © stad Antwerpen

Overhead view of a group of people gathered around a large architectural city scale model on a table.

Public consultations were known as 'Ring Days', where concerns and ideas were gathered from the locals. © stad Antwerpen

Aerial view of a large highway interchange with curving ramps, surrounded by trees, buildings, and a river in the background.

Aerial architectural rendering of an urban development plan showing buildings, roads, and green spaces with trees.

Before and after: An example of an idea at a section of the ring road, showcasing how new parks and greenery can help to bridge previously disconnected neighbourhoods to create new public spaces. © stad Antwerpen

Illustrated urban park with walking paths, a red sports court, people on grass, trees, tall buildings, and birds flying above.

Another example of how new public spaces and opportunities for new developments such as offices, homes and schools can be carried out. © stad Antwerpen