The story is also explored in the Interreg Europe podcast ‘When Europe Cooperates, communities thrive’, where the building manager of RSL Op Post, a volunteer involved in its Repair Café and an Interreg Europe Thematic Expert discuss how the hub was developed and what other European cities and regions could learn from the experience.
In the 1990s, a large brutalist post office was built in the Flemish city of Roeselare. Eventually, the building stopped being used as a post office. The municipality decided to give the space a new purpose and transform it into a community hub.
When Roeselare launched the community centre, it had three main objectives:
- bring people together through common activities;
- address loneliness in the city; and
- bring different organisations from across the city together in one space.
To bring the community hub to life, Roeselare relied on strong community collaboration based on a horizontal approach. Rather than operating as a traditional organisation with a clear hierarchy, the hub brings different organisations and activities together around a shared space and common objectives.
Today, around 35 organisations are present at RSL Op Post, with around 150 volunteers helping to keep the activities running. The organisations cover a range of areas, including well-being, circular economy, entrepreneurship and culture.
The hub also provides space for practical community initiatives. One example is its Repair Café, where people can come together to repair items, share skills and connect with others.
The experience of RSL Op Post shows how the regeneration of an unused public building can go beyond physical redevelopment. By bringing organisations, volunteers and residents together, the space has become a place for social connection and community activity.
The approach also offers inspiration for other cities and regions looking for ways to make better use of existing spaces and strengthen community connections.
The RSL Op Post good practice was brought to Interreg Europe through the InterRevita project, which aims to improve policy instruments for the integrated territorial development of small and medium-sized cities.
