The moving boxes have been unpacked, the garden looks neat — and then it happens: a summer downpour. The water remains standing, the tiles steam afterwards, and the garden feels more like a parking lot than a place to relax. This is a familiar sight in more and more neighborhoods. And this is exactly where the story of the Haarlemmermeer Tile Removal Championship begins.
In the Hoofddorp district of Toolenburg, alderwoman Charlotte van der Meij visited Yvonne, one of the winners of the championship. Her backyard was already green, but she decided to take one step further. Another quarter of her garden was cleared of tiles and replaced with plants. This not only earned her a prize package but also a cake — which she shared on the spot with her visitors.
“Every tile that goes out makes a difference,” said the alderwoman. “Greener gardens provide cooling during heat, retain water during heavy rain, and contribute to more biodiversity. Moreover, green is good for your health and the livability of the neighborhood.”
More than a prettier garden
The Haarlemmermeer Tile Removal Championship is organized by the Center for Sustainability Haarlemmermeer (formerly: NMCX). With advice, practical tips, and help with implementation, residents are encouraged to green their gardens.
“Every tile counts, even that one,” says Karen Meinhardt, director of the Center for Sustainability Haarlemmermeer. “Even small patches of extra greenery help insects, improve water drainage, and make neighborhoods more pleasant to live in. It doesn’t have to be grand to have an effect.”
This is important because even small strips of green can provide resting places for insects. Gardens function as links: landing briefly, eating, and flying on to the next green spot.
Yvonnes garden was already green, but she still decided to take one step further. Another quarter of her garden was cleared of tiles and replaced with plants. Photo: Jur Engelchor
“You have to do it together”
Yvonne has lived in her house for fourteen years. “With your head, you know you do it for the water and the climate,” she says. “But from my feelings, I especially want to sit in a beautiful, green garden. And then I choose plants that are also good for insects.”
She immediately adds an important nuance: without help, she probably would not have participated. Removing and disposing of tiles is physically demanding. That is why it helps that participants receive support — sometimes literally with extra hands. In her garden, this meant that eventually three times as many tiles were removed as initially thought.
Project Tenants Go Green
In 2025, the project Tenants Go Green also started. In collaboration with housing corporation Ymere, tenants were helped to green and properly maintain their gardens. The project began in Rijsenhout and will continue this year in other neighborhoods.
According to the Center for Sustainability, this approach works precisely because partners join forces: through existing communication channels, residents are reached and can be helped in an accessible way.
Not just retaining water
Collaboration is not a luxury but a necessity. In Haarlemmermeer, only 30 percent of the land surface is public space. The remaining 70 percent is in the hands of private individuals and companies. The municipality cannot simply remove tiles everywhere: roads, bus lanes, sidewalks, and residential areas are functionally necessary.
Those who want to make Haarlemmermeer greener must do so mainly together with residents — in gardens, yards, and neighborhoods. Fortunately, this is happening more and more often. Soon, a community vegetable garden will be opened in Graan voor Visch, realized by residents together with the community center, a primary school, the GGD, the municipality, and other partners.
A nice example of how greening not only leads to fewer tiles but also to more social interaction. Because green does more than retain water: it brings people together.