Innovation in Politics Award 2021 for Rijnvliet

The 'edible' Rijnvliet neighbourhood in Utrecht has attracted international attention by winning the Innovation in Politics Award 2021. In this new neighbourhood, located in Utrecht's Leidsche Rijn district, cooperation between residents and the municipality has led to the idea of designing the public space as a central food forest. All the greenery is edible for humans, plants and animals. The plan for the layout of the edible residential area was developed by Food Forestry Development, Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners and De Zwarte Hond.

The Innovation Politics Institute, an organisation that strives for innovation in politics, organises an annual award for successful, creative and innovative projects that have been realised through political engagement. An audience of more than 1,000 European citizens could vote for 413 entries from 25 European countries.

The 'Edible Neighbourhood Rijnvliet' project was declared the winner in the Ecology category because it excels in innovation, participation and sustainability. The organisation believes that these aspects of the project can serve as an example for other countries in achieving a balance between greening and densification.

De Zwarte Hond is happy to have contributed to this project and encourages similar projects that contribute to a healthy living environment.

Visualisation: Felixx