“One day I came home from work. Crocuses were blooming everywhere, but our square was gray and gray. 'We can't possibly have to look at this,' I thought. In the same period I read an article about someone who, with the help of the municipality, had exchanged tiles for greenery. That should also be possible here, so I contacted our district director, Natascha Heerschop. Natascha helped me very well. She advised me to make a plan and put it exactly how I envisioned it. We would then see whether it was feasible and affordable, and to what extent the municipality would facilitate it. This immediately made me feel taken seriously.
Tiles out, green in
With my first plan, I visited other residents in the apartment. Some didn't like it. They were afraid that the benches I had drawn on the design would attract young people and that this would cause noise pollution. Fortunately, others were enthusiastic. I started working with those positive reactions. In the end we had a final design with an extra bench - next to the bench that was already there - and some tiles taken out and greenery in. We also had to take the emergency services into account, for whom there must always be room on the square. We discussed the design further with the municipality's Green Department. It was our wish to obtain plants from organic cultivation. That was not possible, but the green we have now is unsprayed. We have also agreed that from now on we will maintain the greenery ourselves. The 'Residents Initiative' tile that is there indicates that green areas do not have to maintain our lawn.
Down for the bench
The plants are now starting to sprout. I notice that the residents of the apartment like the new square. The benches are also being used more. People come down especially for it or they sit there for a while after walking the dog. This initiative has also allowed me to get to know my neighbors. Due to the layout of our apartment, you rarely encounter each other. Now I've met them and that came in handy recently. I had a nasty fall and was therefore unable to walk. Because I now knew people through the garden, I could ask them to get the mail for me. We are very happy that we were able to use the district budget for this. If we had had to pay for it ourselves, it wouldn't have happened. The help of district director Natascha was very important. She played a connecting role throughout the entire process and always asked how things were going. We really owe it to her that the garden is now there.”
Do you also have a good idea?
The municipality would like to hear your ideas (neighborhood initiatives) to make your neighborhood more fun and help you implement them. Every district has a district budget, from which you can often contribute to your idea. Please contact your district director for this. For more information, go to the My Neighborhood page.
