Description:
The Square Kilometre is a participatory public history and community heritage initiative coordinated by STAM Ghent City Museum and the Ghent Heritage Cell in Belgium. Launched in 2017, the project explores overlooked histories in the diverse and rapidly changing neighbourhoods of Ghent, placing local residents at the centre of heritage research, interpretation and presentation. Working with historian in residence Tina De Gendt, the initiative focuses on five designated square kilometres in the city's nineteenth-century urban belt. Residents, known as "rememberers", identify questions about their neighbourhoods and collaborate in oral history interviews, archival research, guided walks and other activities. Their investigations uncover hidden histories relating to migration, religious diversity, working-class life, resistance and entrepreneurship. Each residency brings together residents from different backgrounds and generations, allowing them to shape how their communities' histories are researched and represented. The results are shared through free exhibitions at STAM Ghent City Museum, neighbourhood walking maps, videos, publications, podcasts and community events. The project also strengthens cooperation between local communities, schools, archives, researchers and cultural institutions. By recognising residents as experts in their own lived environments, The Square Kilometre challenges traditional museum practices and promotes shared authority over cultural heritage. Its methodology encourages civic participation, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and a stronger sense of belonging, while offering a transferable model for democratising heritage in other European cities. The Square Kilometre received a European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in 2024 in the category Citizens' Engagement and Awareness-raising.