The Mission

GreenBoat’s mission is to transform abandoned houseboats into thriving urban gardens that foster sustainability, community, and access to green spaces within Dutch cities.

Problem

Urban areas face a growing need for green spaces where people can reconnect with nature, grow their own food, and engage in community-driven, nature-based activities. Urbaners are disconnected from the food chain and lack opportunities to learn about sustainable gardening while forming connections with others with similar interests. Climate change intensifies these challenges, contributing to food insecurity, deforestation, soil degradation, and extreme weathers. This highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions that promote urban resilience and sustainability.

The Solution

We renovate abandoned houseboats or barges into urban farming spaces. We buy unused boats from shipyards, municipalities, or private owners and send them out for renovation to accommodate different types of agroecology technologies including classic soil farming, greenhouse areas to make the most of the closed part of the houseboat, and aeroponic towers to boost production rates and optimize the available space. While the boats are accessible for all to admire from the outside, our revenue model is based on two subscriptions: a 25€ monthly subscription to get an individual parcel of 2m2 to grow your own seasonal crops and a 10€ monthly subscription to access the community garden. We also host events like gardening workshops, harvesting crops, and coffee hours.