Entered by City of Ghent

Ghent is a Belgian city with a rich past. In medieval times it was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe, and its old town is still dominated by the architectural wonders of that time. Ghent (269.000 inhabitants) developed as a port city and as a university town hosting 80.000 students on average per year. It’s known for its heritage and contrasting modern architecture, inspiring food scene, ambitious climate plan, many museums, cultural centres, tech scene, green mobility, and a fine quality of life.

However, all of the aforementioned aspects are applicable to many cities across the planet. Hence, the City of Ghent felt that, in a globalised world, a distinctive and preferably authentic city brand is needed. Therefore, the city hall launched a participatory process of reflection to define the Ghentian brand and to find out what makes Ghent ‘Ghentian’.