Summary - Between green and grey

Original title: Tussen groen en grijs

Taking cuttings is cool. Growing vegetables is all the rage. Green oases can now be found scattered throughout Dutch towns and cities: community gardens and roof gardens where residents can go to relax and enjoy themselves, improve the appearance of their neighbourhood and meet their fellow residents. At the same time, private gardens in the Netherlands are increasingly losing their green appearance in favour of bricks, paving slabs and gravel, making the environment harder both literally and figuratively, as well as offering less resilience against climate change.

This publication provides an insight into the discussions held by urban planners and architects in deciding whether or not to offer Dutch citizens their own garden with their home. The study looks at what the Dutch do with their gardens today and which people decide to pave their gardens. Gardening is considered in relation to other forms of leisure activity, and a series of interviews sheds more light on the drivers and sources of inspiration for gardeners. If we want to see green and perhaps more attractive gardens in our residential settings, this has to begin with an understanding of why garden-owners make the choices they do.