Communal shrubbery theft, pavement extraction and other methods by green initiatives: Success factors in the approach towards higher long-term communal participation in greening

Abstract

Green initiatives in The Netherlands are arising all across the country. In 13 interviews with national green initiatives, a wide scale of results were found. How these green initiatives have been able to succeed in reaching as many communities as they have, is among others, by keeping their activities accessible, inclusive and by customizing the activity to a neighbourhood or even individual level. To stimulate communities to green their environment for the long term, it is important to contribute to their community capital. Especially human, social and cultural capital were seen as important forms of needs for communities to succeed in a long term greening of their environment. Green initiatives should focus on the broad stimulation of communities, as well as on what these communities need, to maintain sustainable green. This broad stimulation can be done nationally, while the long term success in motivation and long term maintenance are often found by putting effort towards the needs of a community on a local level