The skies are grey and rainy as people come dripping in to the community apartment in Overvecht. “Did you read the papers this morning?”. A ‘Riot of Greenery’ in residential areas was a front-page item in de Pers. They could not have chosen a more suitable theme for today, the day that the Near Greenery workshop gets under way! The Battle of Concepts about this theme was organized by InnovationNetwork to break through the deadlock that had arisen around the quality of public greenery in residential areas. The government – and other parties such as housing associations – acknowledge the problem, but rarely get beyond standard solutions and procedures that lack any direct input from the local residents. So wouldn’t it be possible to move towards a form of co-ownership at places such as these neighbourhood gardens in Overvecht, so that residents feel more involved and responsible for the greenery in their neighbourhood?

Facilitator Erik introduces a few key terms to keep us focused this morning: social contacts, involvement, quality of ownership and maintenance and, finally, the ‘green’ sense of well-being and attractiveness. Sixteen participants let themselves be inspired by the pitches from three Battle prize winners. Meeting online and dreaming together with your neighbours, bidding for a plot of land on an online marketplace, socially responsible homes with a ‘neighbourhood community’ team on the web … The ideas are refreshing. Words spark new questions, or even new ideas. That’s very promising for the brainstorming session later in the day!

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What a timing; the sun breaks through and tempts us outdoors. Hans and Ellen tell a passionate tale about their years of involvement in the neighbourhood garden project with people living in three 10-storey flats around a green courtyard. We test the pitches against what is already here and feasible; how many people in these flats have a computer?
Our heads are almost brimming over, everything is swept from the table and large sheets of paper are produced. What was so good about these concepts? And what could be better? Will we find out now? And what can still be added? Anything goes, we give our imaginations free rein. Sheets fill up, coloured scribbles are strewn criss-cross through the community flat, the music plays on, Erik’s alarm goes off, one minute to go! We are allowed to dream of the concept without realistic restrictions. Just think, wouldn’t it be fantastic seeing all the oldies on Hyves, producing neighbourhood wine together, or even cannabis?

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Great. Got that off my chest! We sit up and survey the battlefield of ideas. Erik takes us back to this morning’s focus. We want to build concepts with ideas springing from all key terms. And a colour palette is going to help us. Blue stickers for the ‘quick wins’; we can achieve these just like that. Red for the really original WOW! ideas; these are the challenges we want to pursue. Yellow, finally, for the dreams that fit in with the concept in the long term.

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Our attention briefly wanders outside where the school is just coming out and the neighbourhood garden is filling up with playing children. From the confused jumble of posters and stickers two concepts emerge: ‘eco-co’ and ‘green couscous’. All we need to do now is attach stickers to our favourite ingredients one more time and then InnovationNetwork can set to work!