Building ‘tKadaster as a new Third Place in Oostende.

Last summer, something remarkable began to take shape in Oostende (Belgium). Together with a group of doers, dreamers and thinkers, we launched De Stadsnomaden, a collective dedicated to breathing new life into unused places across the city. Our vision is bold yet simple: to create a ninth neighbourhood, a network of temporary spaces where imagination, encounters and collaboration can thrive.

The first chapter of this story unfolded as ’t Kadaster, a former police site where more than 3000 square metres of forgotten ground suddenly became a stage for creativity and connection.

We began with De Vierkante Meter (The Square Metre), inviting at least one hundred Ostend residents, families and organisations to claim a single square metre of the courtyard and transform it into something new. One square metre blossomed into a herb garden, another into a reading place, another into a small stage or a shared oven. Some participants joined their spaces together to form a petanque court. What mattered most was not ownership, but quite the opposite. Every square metre was temporary, shared and transparent, a small gesture within a larger collective experiment. All the stories, ambitions and designs were documented in an open archive, a living cadastre that revealed the mosaic of people and ideas shaping this new community. For an entire summer, the courtyard of ’t Kadaster became a mirror of the city itself: playful, inventive, diverse and open, creating new “us”.

The Summer Canteen also played a central role. It was a gathering place, a quiet corner to work, an informal meeting spot for neighbours, and a way for people to support the project. Every conversation, every shared drink, every collective meal and picnic strengthened the sense that something new was taking root.

Now, as we look ahead, we are preparing for the next phase: activating the building itself. The empty rooms of the former police station will be given new life as spaces for making, learning, experimenting and collaborating. We are searching for co-makers – individuals, collectives, associations or enterprises – who want to be part of this journey. The aim is to create an affordable, shared and vibrant home for initiatives that care for the neighbourhood, bring people together, and enrich the heart of the city.

Step by step, ’t Kadaster will become more than just a site: it will grow into a living neighbourhood within the city – temporary, ever-changing, yet deeply rooted in the collective spirit of Ostend.