By the end of this year, The Hague’s urbanised districts will be considerably greener. The municipality will start planting trees, bushes and other plants in neighbourhoods with little green space. It will add 15 thousand square metres of greenery and plant hundreds of trees. More than EUR 3 million has been set aside for the implementation of the Climate Adaptation and Greening Up Petrified Neighbourhoods action programme.
Alderman Robert Barker (Outdoor Space, Animal Welfare and Environment): ‘Last year, we started a major greening exercise in The Hague. Living in a green neighbourhood is more pleasant for both people and animals. Green offers cooling, helps against flooding and is good for biodiversity. That is why this year we will continue replacing tiles with trees, bushes and other plants. We pay special attention to petrified neighbourhoods. By greening precisely here, we make life in these neighbourhoods a lot more pleasant’.
Examples of places in the city that will be tackled next year are Weteringplein in the Rivierenbuurt and the streets around primary school ‘t Palet in the Schilderswijk. Several projects are now being implemented or are in the completion phase. For instance, the greening of Rijswijkseplein with 21 new trees and 1,500 square metres of new greenery is almost finished.
The action programme was launched last year. In total, The Hague added more than 12,000 square metres of greenery in 2024 by greening urbanised neighbourhoods. An additional 225 trees have also been planted. The municipality will continue greening the city in 2025 with 15,000 square metres of green space added and 250 trees planted.
Greening together with the city
The municipality considers it important to work together with the residents of The Hague in greening the city. To encourage residents to roll up their sleeves themselves, free trees will be handed out again in 2025. This action was a great success in 2024. In total, over 1,850 trees were handed out and planted by Hagenaars.
When we work together, we can really make a difference. That is why this year too, we are investing a lot in actions that encourage residents to participate in greening the city. I invite everyone to pick up the gardening gauntlet. If we all make a small contribution, together we will make a big difference,’ said councillor Barker about joining residents in greening the city.
To make the city more resilient to climate change and flooding, free rain barrels will be handed out to residents this year. Also, Operation Steenbreek, the campaign where residents of The Hague can exchange tiles for plants, will be continued. This also applies to the NK tegelwippen and the Klimaatadaptie subsidy scheme, which was recently expanded and is now available for the entire city.
Wethouder Barker plant een boom op het Rijswijkseplein.
Photos: Henriette Guest.