2026 Special Mention - Antwerp

Antwerp is recognised for its exceptional demonstration of transformative urban governance through good foresight, long-term vision, institutional innovation, and systematic integration of climate resilience with community enhancement.

Antwerp converts infrastructure barriers into community connectors through long-term planning and climate resilience initiatives. © SKYVISION

ANTWERP is recognised for its exceptional demonstration of transformative urban governance through good foresight, long-term vision, institutional innovation, and systematic integration of climate resilience with community enhancement. As a pocket-sized metropolis with big city ideas that punches above its weight, it navigates the complexities of balancing Europe's second-largest port with urban liveability for more than 560,000 residents. Antwerp’s governance framework is grounded in long-term planning and sustained coordination, effectively converting infrastructure barriers into community connectors through visionary planning and collaborative governance. The ongoing progress of the Big Link project, alongside comprehensive climate adaptation initiatives, reflects Antwerp’s ability to implement major projects across political cycles while maintaining strong citizen buy-in and achieving visible improvements to both environmental performance and quality of life.

Institutional Innovation for Long-term Transformation

Antwerp's success is rooted in its pioneering governance mechanisms that transcend traditional municipal limitations. The Covenant structure, exemplified in the Big Link project, demonstrates how multi-stakeholder agreements between city, regional government, port authority, and civil society movements can maintain project momentum across changing political leadership. The city's Strategic Spatial Plan 2040 provides consistent vision while allowing adaptive "slow urbanism" implementation, ensuring that transformational projects like the Oosterweel connection and Scheldt Quays renewal are refined over time while keeping their overall direction intact. Antwerp's approach demonstrates how gradual, well-managed development can achieve authentic and sustainable outcomes by accommodating the reality of mixed private-public land ownership while enabling continuous refinement based on community feedback and practical constraints. The city's commitment to constant communication with citizens through a dedicated "Big Link Info Point" ensures sustained public engagement and support for long-term initiatives.

Strategic Infrastructure Transformation: Envisioning Urban Connectors for Future Generations

This institutional innovation enables the systematic implementation of over 350 hectares of Ring Parks, including Ringpark West, Ringpark Het Schijn, and Ringpark Lobroekdok, delivering approximately 15km of cycling infrastructure while reconnecting previously divided neighbourhoods. Meticulous attention to detail such as narrower streets designed to slow traffic and physically separated bike lanes illustrate the city’s emphasis on safety and usability at a fine-grain level.

The ongoing Big Link project demonstrates how a long-contested infrastructure project can be reshaped to align with local priorities, with many groups that initially opposed the scheme now actively participating as its benefits become visible. The Via Sinjoor corridor improvements intend to integrate community priorities across Astridplein, Meir, Wapper, and Groenplaats, demonstrating how infrastructure can unite rather than divide urban areas.

Systemic Climate Integration Through Multifunctional Infrastructure

Antwerp's approach to climate adaptation exemplifies how cities can turn necessary defensive investments into daily community assets. The Scheldt Quays renewal combines 2.5-metre raised flood barriers with over 7km of accessible waterfront spaces designed for recreation and civic use, while the Antwerp Water Plan implements circular water strategies through district-scale rainwater collection and stormwater retention and infiltration systems.

The Garden Streets programme demonstrates systematic deployment of green infrastructure across ten pilot streets that incorporate plantings and permeability, with residents maintaining 80% of greenery themselves to foster community ownership. The South Park showcases integrated climate adaptation through the conversion of a former dock into a park with underground stormwater retention and bioswales. Collectively, these measures strengthen Antwerp’s resilience while improving comfort, greening, and access to public spaces at local street and district levels.

Heritage & Cultural Assets as Regeneration Catalysts

Antwerp strategically leverages existing assets to drive neighbourhood transformation while preserving urban character. The adaptive reuse of the Farmers Tower into a museum, Meatpacking district warehouses into mixed-use developments, alongside the establishment of the Tomorrowland Headquarters within a former brownfield site, demonstrate how the city incorporates both heritage assets and underutilised land into contemporary development to anchor regeneration.

The Fashion Hub and Royal Museum for Fine Arts renovations showcase how cultural institutions can catalyse broader urban renewal, while Park Spoor Noord's completion in 2009 enabled subsequent developments including Cadix Hospital and surrounding residential growth. This approach prioritises adaptation and reuse, allowing the city to strengthen its maritime and industrial identity while supporting ongoing regeneration.

The full transformational impact of the Big Link project is anticipated as implementation continues over the coming years. Housing affordability is another complex challenge that Antwerp shares with cities worldwide, as the city works to balance strong cultural preferences for home ownership and lower-density development with planning objectives to thoughtfully increase density while preserving historical character. The city continues to work within these preferences while exploring innovative approaches to social and affordable housing delivery.

Antwerp's systematic approach to converting urban obstacles and challenges into opportunities for community enhancement, combined with its proven ability to maintain long-term vision through changing political leadership, provides a compelling model for cities seeking to achieve transformative change through inclusive, deliberate planning. The city's emphasis on long-term coordination, clear communication, and practical implementation positions it well to realise the full potential of its ambitious vision for urban transformation in the years ahead.