Thirty-seven urban renewal projects in 25 Flemish towns and cities are discussed in this book that places them in a historical and European perspective, putting Flemish urban renewal on the European map. Since the end of the last century, a notable amount of urban renewal has gotten under way everywhere in Europe and, after some hesitation, in Flanders. However, urban renewal practices in Flanders differ fundamentally from large-scale European urban projects.

The unique context of Flanders, with its almost total urbanisation of the land and the fine, fragmented mesh of its urban sprawl, prompted the authorities and towns and cities to take an individual approach to urban renewal projects. These urban centres have been awarded grants by the Flemish authorities over the last 10 years and include large cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Kortrijk, and Leuven, as well as smaller towns such as Deinze, Geel, and Lokeren. Their story is that of a risky and sometimes unmanageable trialogue between designing and building, social emancipation, and administrative innovation. The book addresses urban planners and academics and students of that discipline, policymakers, architects, urban engineers, sociologists, and residents.