🍃 The Dutch turned removing concrete into a national competition

There’s something interesting happening in the Netherlands, and it’s built around an idea that feels almost too simple to be effective.

They’ve taken something as ordinary as removing paving tiles and turned it into a nationwide movement called the National Tile Whipping Contest, where municipalities compete to replace concrete with greenery.

The concept is straightforward. 

People dig up tiles, replace the compacted ground beneath with healthy soil, and plant something living in its place.

Since 2021, more than 11 million tiles have been removed, creating space equivalent to around 200 football fields of gardens, trees, and natural surfaces.

What’s remarkable is how quickly the impact becomes visible. 

Neighbourhoods absorb rainwater more effectively, urban areas stay cooler during heatwaves, and streets begin to feel more inviting and enjoyable for the people who live there.

But the real insight isn’t the competition itself.

It’s the way the system has been designed.

Most sustainability challenges exist because the systems around us make the wrong behaviour easier and the right behaviour less convenient.

What the Dutch have done is flip that dynamic by making the better choice simple, visible, and rewarding, which naturally encourages people to take part.

So it raises a simple question.

If something like this existed in your neighbourhood, would you take part?

Best,

Jasper