Participating Teams

Due to climate change and declining biodiversity, our health and liveability are at stake. Our cities will have to increasingly deal with heat stress, drought, and water issues caused by climate change. In addition, the great reduction in species is harrowing, because biodiversity is crucial for the breakdown of organic waste, plant pollination, and pest prevention, as well as controlling the water cycle and purifying both water and the air we breathe. Local governments and initiatives have been working on bringing more green into the public space, but many Dutch gardens are still fenced and paved, excluding great beauty that nature can bring. How can we make it easy and accessible for everybody to make their gardens more nature-inclusive?

Climate change as a result of human emissions.

Outdoor furniture in general, and benches most specifically, are currently built with non-sustainable and imported materials and building practices and with very little concern about both the users and the environment where it occurs. This leaves both with unmet needs that can range from being comfortable to having a liveable habitat.

Our society and agricultural sector are facing daunting challenges. In the Netherlands, but also in southern-European countries, droughts are increasingly common. Next to that, the agricultural sector is facing increasing scrutiny and is pushed to bring down its nitrogen emissions. These problems affect our food supply, access to clean drinking water and quality of life.