With the Groen Lint or Green Ribbon, Ostend is giving its green south side a new appearance. The master plan strings together the most diverse landscapes. Both for the master plan and its elaboration, the city turned to the Flemish Government Architect. ‘The Green Ribbon should trigger a new urban culture’, says Eli Devriendt, who is leading the project.

A green polder landscape as far as the eye can see. It’s an image you don’t immediately associate with Ostend. The Belgian coastal city is famous for its beaches and its compact city centre, with a park and galleries dating from the time of Leopold II. A modernist casino and a dyke lined with grey apartment buildings recall the dreams of the twentieth century.