For our third GOOD CITIES study visit, Eutropian’s Levente Polyak and Sophie Bod traveled to Tilburg, a city in the south of the Netherlands recognized for its creativity, social innovation, and sustainability. Within the GOOD CITIES project, Tilburg Municipality has set a clear vision: by 2045, every neighborhood will host dynamic sharing hubs reflecting the unique needs of its residents.

During this study visit, a significant focus was placed on the suburban district of Reeshof, as a testbed for a community-driven, bottom-up sharing economy. This included preparations for the upcoming community-focused “Good City Day,” designed to reinforce existing local initiatives, facilitate matchmaking, and encourage new collaborations aligned closely with neighborhood needs. 

Our day started at Buurthoeve, a vibrant community center led by the charismatic and cheerful Natasja van Lieshout, supported by 75 dedicated volunteers. Natasja’s warmth, energy, and exceptional ability to bring people together have made Buurthoeve a place where daily meals, essential services, and genuine social connection are offered to 25–50 residents each day, significantly enhancing community resilience in Reeshof.

Next, we heard from Mark van Dolder of the Municipality of Tilburg, who provided essential background on Reeshof, the largest yet youngest district of Tilburg. He also shared insights about the area’s active community, grassroots initiatives, and potential for neighborhood-level innovation.

Our next stop was Hipp Heyhoef, a thriving secondhand clothing store located in the Wijkcentrum Heyhoef  community center. Managed by 35 passionate volunteers, Hipp Heyhoef operates fully on circular economy principles, ensuring all clothing donations are reused, recycled, or provided directly to those in need. During our visit, volunteers were busy preparing for their upcoming secondhand festival.

We then learned about the Raisehof Collectief from cultural coach Anja Reinhardt. Raisehof engages local youth aged 12 to 18, empowering them to creatively shape their community through artistic interventions in public spaces, fostering collective responsibility and care. We also met a talented young participant who presented impressive public artworks displayed around Reeshofpark and a nearby school, highlighting the positive impact youth creativity can have on neighborhood identity.

We concluded our day at Giardino, a restaurant and Den Rijacker community garden.  

DAY 2 – POLICY PITCHES AND GOOD CITY DAY WORKSHOP

Wednesday began at Stadwinkel Gemeente Tilburg, the municipality’s city office and public information center, where residents can access municipal services. Here, Martin van Bers, Circular Economy Programme Manager at the Municipality of Tilburg, presented the city’s ambitious sustainability framework, Tilburg Circular, followed by interactive Q&A sessions. Afterwards, each partner city delivered their Policy Intervention pitches, and with guidance from Bax Innovation, finalized their policy positionings.

In the afternoon, the group moved to Loos! in Tilburg’s Spoorpark, the city’s largest citizen-driven urban park created through a bottom-up community process on a former railway site.  Here, partners Eutropian facilitated an interactive workshop specifically dedicated to planning the upcoming Good City Day events. The workshop focused on clarifying the purpose of Good City Day, planning concrete activities, and aligning these plans with each city’s broader vision and long-term trajectory.

DAY 3 – SHOWTIME AT STATION88: WELCOME TO THE ACCESS ECONOMY

Thursday brought us to Station88, Tilburg’s vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation hub, for the high-energy public event “Welcome to the Access Economy,” held as part of Circular Economy Week. Over 30 organizations joined us in Tilburg to exchange best practices and discuss how renting, borrowing, and sharing services can make everyday goods more affordable, sustainable, and convenient.

Under sunny skies, the event featured dynamic presentations from circular policy officers and leading service providers, demonstrating the value of creating engaged ecosystems around access-based service models. Speakers included Daan Weddepohl (Peerby), Arno Hermans (Sports + Vitality, BoxUp and Equip Sport), Johanna Reiland (Access Economy Alliance / Bax Innovation), with moderation from Benjamin Gardner (Bax Innovation).

An interactive networking lunch transformed Station88 into a lively think tank, with dedicated stations focusing on stakeholder ecosystems, citizen engagement, and innovative new services cities could readily adopt. The event was organized collaboratively by Access Economy Alliance and GOOD CITIES – Interreg Europe, supported by Bax Innovation and Holland Circular Hotspot.

We extend special thanks to our host, Maartje Mertens from Tilburg Municipality, for generously facilitating and guiding our visit.