Ringland is the land that is created by covering the Antwerp Ring. A complete covering offers enormous advantages for health and the environment, mobility and urban development. The Ringland project is the lever for the development of a healthy, liveable and climate-neutral city, for and with citizens.
With Ringland, Antwerp will become the most liveable region in Europe in terms of environment, mobility, urban development and participation. Half a million residents will enjoy a better quality of life. The port and companies will also make significant progress in terms of accessibility.
At the same time, the co-creative work of citizens, civil servants and governments is an unprecedented testing ground for participation on this scale. It is the way to tackle small and large planning processes in the 21st century. Ringland is thus the lever for the development of a healthy, liveable and climate-neutral city, for and with citizens.
Ringland is a politically independent citizens' initiative that was founded in 2013, with the official name 'Het Ringgenootschap vzw'. When Ringland launched the idea to completely cover the Antwerp Ring in early 2014, it immediately received a lot of support from public opinion. Since then, Ringland has continued to build on broad support among the Antwerp population.
The volunteers of Ringland are citizens with a heart for their city and region. They are hundreds, to create support, carry out studies and to influence policy. Everyone helps according to their own qualities and possibilities.
What is Ringland?
The complete covering of the Antwerp Ring is an investment in public health. The air quality in the city improves, not least for everyone who lives, works or goes to school in the vicinity of the Ring. With the cars underground, noise pollution in the city is also reduced, and therefore also the stress and associated sleep complaints of many citizens.
The roof also contributes to the fight against global warming and heat stress in the city. In addition, the redevelopment of the Ring offers opportunities for innovation in the field of ecology and water, heat recovery, renewable energy sources, district heating and much more. For example, the experts of the Ringland Academy also think about the energy and water management in the entire Ring zone.
Ringland aims for sustainable travel: more on foot, by bike or by public transport. Fewer cars makes life in the city much more pleasant and traffic much safer. The goal is a modal split of 50/50 in the Antwerp Transport Region (city and 32 municipalities), with a maximum of half of all travel by car and the other half on foot, by bike or by train, tram or bus. In the core city, the goal is a modal split of 70/30.
Ringland and the experts of the Ringland Academy are actively involved in the Antwerp Transport Region's 2030 Route Plan . This vision and the associated action plan are the starting point for realising the modal shift to more sustainable traffic in the entire region.
The pilot project Zorro unites citizens in the south-eastern edge of Antwerp. Together they refine the vision of sustainable transport, with concrete proposals for those eight municipalities, both in terms of projects and awareness.
The current Ring forms a barrier between the city centre and the suburbs. The covering will reconnect these neighbourhoods. This is a historic step forward, especially for vulnerable neighbourhoods with little greenery. The covering creates space for 350 hectares of new city parks, greenery and water. Around the public transport hubs, space is created for new affordable housing, schools and other facilities. This helps to reverse the urban exodus.
