Reimagining Bruges' Historic Waters - with Ilse Vansevenant and Frederik Roelens

What happens when a city looks beneath its streets for answers to the climate crisis?Bruges may be famous for its canals, but water did much more than create the city’s postcard views. It helped turn medieval Bruges into one of Europe’s largest and most internationally connected cities.Beneath today’s streets, parts of that historic water system still survive. Ancient pipes continue to carry water. Medieval wells are rediscovered during construction work. One was found when the city tried to plant a tree.Could this forgotten infrastructure help Bruges prepare for drought, heavy rainfall and a changing climate?For this episode, I sit beside the canals with Ilse Vansevenant and city archaeologist Frederic Roelens from the City of Bruges. Tourist boats pass as we explore a water story spanning more than 700 years.We talk about the network that once supplied “medieval Manhattan” with fresh water, why residents knew exactly which well provided the best water for peas or tea, and how one of these wells could soon help people water their plants again.But this is not only a story about the past. Ilse explains how sensors are helping the city understand groundwater, water quality and the needs of individual trees. Together, we explore what happens when archaeology, climate adaptation and new technology meet. In this episode:How can a seemingly water-rich city prepare for both drought and flooding?What can Bruges’ medieval water infrastructure teach us about climate resilience?Could ancient underground water pipes be brought back into use?How can sensors reveal when individual trees need water?How can archaeology become an opportunity for urban innovation?Why are citizen ownership and experimentation essential for living with water?Find out more:Blue4Green on PorticoBlue4Green and the City of Bruges on the European Urban Initiative websiteRead: A new chapter in Bruges’ water identity with Blue4GreenListen to the previous Cities Reimagined episode from BrugesExplore all Cities Reimagined episodesSubscribe to the anthropocene.city newsletterBlue4Green is an Innovative Action funded by the European Urban Initiative.