Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY
Temporary Community Garden: CONNECTING MEETING SPOT IN, AND WITH NATURE
Diederik Imfeld
Did you spot the dynamics at the vacant plot between EMA and Van der Valk on
not possible to unroll the whole project as
Domenico Scarlattilaan yet? The area is awaiting for development, which will start
planned. Unfortunate, as the end date of
at the end of 2022. Instead of just leaving it be for two years, the opportunity was
this garden was already set. Nevertheless,
taken to create a temporary Community Garden. A lovely initiative from Amsterdam
we are very happy that the students were
International Community School, the Municipality of Amsterdam and (other
fortunate that during spring and summer
participants of) Green Business Club Zuidas.
the students were able to actually create the garden and learn about nature in bloom.
Combined ambitions
Garden is a great spot to teach the students
They did so in small groups under the
Who came up with the idea for a
about nature and let them tend the garden
guidance of Birgitte Jongens, professional
Community Garden on this spot?
with local elderly residents to help them
gardener”, Jessica Morris (AICS) explains.
“Amsterdam International Community
stay connected to the area. People working
School is a participant of Green Business
in the area have a spot to experience
Now that the world is opening up
Club Zuidas. We were talking about
nature and unwind for a bit.
again within the Covid 19 restrictions, schoolchildren, Zuidas employees and
sustainability, teaching about nature, social aspects in the Zuidas area. Even
Students started to learn by doing
residents of Buitenveldert are able to work
though we knew that the vacant plot will
“After the preparations and the support of
together in the Community Garden. At
be developed, we saw the opportunity for a
the Municipality of Amsterdam – Stadsdeel
the official opening, the young gardeners
temporary green spot that would combine
Zuid and the Municipality of Amsterdam –
planted bulbs and were showing off their
our ambitions on the themes above”,
Zuidas, the community garden was ready
gardening skills: “The bulbs shouldn’t
shares Diederik Imfeld (GBC Zuidas) with
to be ‘built’ at the beginning of 2021. Due to
be too close to each other, or they won’t
a smile. The (temporarily) Community
the lockdown and social distancing, it was
grow!”. A blooming promise for next year!
Text: Cathelijne Cras
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