Ghent
About Ghent
Ghent – with more than 260.000 inhabitants, the second-largest city in Belgium in terms of population – is known for its medieval architecture and (street) art, but also for its vibrant student life. The city blends rich history with a modern, urban life, offering a mix of historic architecture, cultural venues, trendy cafés and a thriving arts scene.
Smart city goals
Ghent aims to become a data-driven and collaborative smart city where technology is used to improve urban liveability. The city focuses on collaboration between public authorities, citizens, companies, and research institutions, and on sharing data to support joint solutions. A key goal is also to make digital innovation accessible and relevant for citizens and smaller organisations and local initiatives, ensuring a more inclusive smart city approach.
Ghent as part of Urban Sense
Ghent is part of the Urban Sense consortium, together with Leuven, Bruges and Roeselare. Within this collaboration, several Flemish cities are working together on the development of an urban data platform. Through this platform, cities can share data from their projects, allowing other cities to gain insights and develop similar initiatives.