Inside the Netherlands’ Utopia Island

Originally built for the Floriade Expo in 2022, the island’s potential is  far from over. What started as a showcase of Dutch horticulture has become a permanent, evolving landscape that brings people, plants, and ideas together. The island is designed using agroforestry and regenerative farming principles. Fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all grow side by side. Instead of yearly digging and replanting, the soil is left to thrive. Rainwater is captured, birds and insects return, and biodiversity flourishes. It’s a form of farming that works in harmony with nature, rather than in opposition to it.

A place to imagine, create, and learn

But Utopia Island is not just about agriculture. It’s about imagination. Art installations crafted from natural materials invite visitors to pause, reflect, and connect with their surroundings. Composting workshops, willow sculpture weaving, and school garden activities show how creativity and ecology can go hand in hand. Even the youngest visitors can take part, joining playful nature trails or ranger clubs to learn about the environment in a hands-on way.

At its heart, Utopia Island is a living classroom, a place of learning and curiosity. Students, researchers, chefs, artists, and local families all come together to explore new ways of thinking about food, climate, and community. And as if that wasn’t enough, the island yields real harvests too. Fresh, local vegetables are grown and go straight to schools and community kitchens across Almere. It’s a small, self-sustaining system that shows how cities can become more self-sufficient.

The island is growing ideas, not just plants

What makes Utopia Island truly a New Dutch movement is not merely the innovation itself, but the spirit that drives it. The Netherlands has a long tradition of reclaiming land and rethinking how we live with water and earth. Utopia Island builds on that legacy in a fresh way, quietly radical, deeply rooted, and open to everyone. It’s a local project with global relevance, showing how regenerative design can help tackle some of today’s biggest challenges: climate change, soil degradation, and the disconnect between people and nature.

Across the world, we’re seeking ways to live more sustainably. Utopia Island doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but it shows that with imagination and collaboration, new systems aren’t just possible, they’re already taking root.

#NewDutch is a mentality, a movement, and an international platform for Dutch innovation. Discover the makers of tomorrow on www.newdutch.nl and join us!