What coastal users teach us about support for sustainable initiatives
Over the past few years, Blue Balance explored how residents, visitors, businesses and public authorities can be better involved in the sustainable development of the Flemish coast. The project revolved around one central question: what do people need to understand, support and help shape changes at sea? As such, it aims to contribute to a broader societal “licence to operate” for new initiatives related to coastal resilience, blue food production and sustainable tourism experiences.
Understanding what drives people
A major strength of Blue Balance was the collaboration across different disciplines: psychology, heritage studies, communication and marine science. This combination made it clear how strongly coastal experiences, identity and memories influence how people perceive change.
The research showed that projects are more readily accepted when they align with local values, when they are explained in an understandable way, and when they demonstrate how the coast can remain liveable and attractive in the future.
Communication that works for and with coastal users
During the closing event, the importance of clear and thoughtful communication was highlighted once again. Early insights from the research indicate that communication is particularly effective when it focuses on enjoyment, connectedness and the social dimension of coastal experiences, elements that strongly match what people value about the coast.
The two researchers involved are continuing to develop these findings further as part of their doctoral work. These insights are therefore preliminary, but they already offer a valuable basis for understanding how communication can support engagement and dialogue with coastal users.
People as part of the blue economy
The results emphasise that the blue economy is not just about technology or infrastructure. It is equally about behaviour, culture, lived experience and the relationship between people and the coast. By explicitly including this human dimension in new projects, sustainable initiatives can become more deeply rooted and better aligned with the everyday reality of coastal users.
A valuable collaboration
Blue Balance brought together partners from different fields and was supported by an active advisory board. This collaboration ensured that insights did not remain theoretical but were translated into practical ideas for communication, participation and experience design.
Although the project is now coming to an end, its results form a solid foundation for future initiatives along the Flemish coast — and for everyone working toward a widely supported, future-oriented blue economy.
A coastline in motion
As part of Blue Balance, historical material was collected to show how the coastal landscape has changed through the centuries. These archaeological insights were transformed together with DAE into moving, immersive visualisations, including a time-layered reconstruction of the Spioenkop in Wenduine.
DAE researchers and students also developed an interactive Fisher Game, bringing the world of coastal fishing and blue food to life in an accessible way.
