Andrea Vos
Strategic Design Director
Andrea helps teams and organizations make complex change workable. With years of experience in design leadership and digital transformation, she operates at the intersection of strategy and execution. She brings clarity, removes barriers and silos, and supports purposeful decision-making, enabling organizations to remain resilient and future-proof.
Carlijn Hutter
Service Designer
Carlijn is a service designer who translates societal challenges into practical, people-centered solutions. Using design thinking, visual communication, and co-creation, she brings structure to complexity and connects people and ideas to create momentum.
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A design intervention that encourages circular behavior in urban renewal
Urban renewal projects lead to large-scale relocation flows. Municipalities repeatedly observe the same pattern: peaks in bulky waste, discarded yet still usable items, and additional pressure on the waste system. The result is higher costs, loss of valuable raw materials, and visible nuisance in neighborhoods.
In four municipalities—Amsterdam, Breda, Rotterdam, and Nissewaard—designers were paired with civil servants. In Amsterdam, Dagan Cohen and designer Jan Willem van den Ban of Changency worked with Evelien Jorna from the Waste and Resources Directorate. After an initial exploration phase, the first creative intervention followed: a thinking dinner. Cohen then approached Andrea Vos and Carlijn Hutter of nlmtd. This is how the idea for First Aid for Moving was born. Together, they explored how the moment of moving could be used to stimulate circular behavior.
Thinking differently within the circular economy
Recycling and reuse are becoming more common, but the highest step on the R‑ladder – consciously consuming less – remains largely untapped, even though this is where the greatest impact lies. The broader design collective initiated by Grijpstof, of which this project is a part, therefore focuses on this question: how can positive interventions help ensure that we do not consume more than necessary, and what role do municipalities play in this?
Many people experience having too many possessions. The moment of moving offers a natural opportunity for reflection. Moreover, a forced relocation is predictable and therefore a moment when a targeted intervention can have significant impact.
The circular challenge in the Wildman neighborhood
The Wildeman neighborhood in Amsterdam New West was selected as the focus area. The neighborhood has a diverse population, including long-term tenants, older residents, families, and temporary residents such as anti-squatters. Some residents have limited financial means, reduced mobility, or a small social network. Temporary residents are often unfamiliar with local rules and available facilities.
Due to large-scale urban renewal, many people move in and out at the same time. This leads to predictable behavior: belongings are discarded quickly and in large quantities. Not because residents want to, but because throwing things away is the most visible and easiest option.
Against this background, Changency formulated the question: “How can we encourage and empower residents of New West (with limited financial means) to use their belongings more sustainably when moving, and to choose repair, second-hand options, borrowing, or sustainable purchases?”
What the research shows
Based on our research into the first phase of the moving process – the preparation stage – three structural patterns emerged:
- Stress drives behavior
Under stress, people automatically choose the fastest option: discarding their belongings. - Lack of an action perspective
People who do not know where repair, recycling, donation, or collection is possible – or who face mobility barriers – see only one immediate option: the dumpster. - The physical environment sets the norm
Simple and highly visible options often prevail over alternatives that require extra effort. A sidewalk filled with bulky waste, for example, can subtly but powerfully become the norm.
The intervention: First Aid for Moving (EHBV)
Using a design approach, we entered the neighborhood, spoke with residents, and mapped their thresholds. In a short period of time, we went through the entire design process, from insight to prototype to initial validation.
First Aid for Moving responds to the three factors by providing clarity, tools, and concrete alternatives. The folder brings structure to a stressful period and encourages residents to make choices that might otherwise not be considered. In addition, the folder connects with a latent need to be seen during a phase that is often emotionally charged due to the forced nature of the move.
From local experiment to scalable intervention
Initial test results are positive. Based on these results, the folder will be further developed and tested in a yet-to-be-determined focus neighborhood. If the outcomes remain positive, First Aid for Moving can be scaled up to other neighborhoods and integrated into broader urban renewal programs.
What we learned
Forced relocations during urban renewal are a vulnerable and predictable moment in every municipality. Municipalities can develop active policies around this to provide residents with additional support.
Cooperation with existing partners – housing associations, neighborhood organizations, and residents’ committees – is essential. They can distribute the folder and act as points of contact, helping residents feel seen. The content of the folder is modular and therefore scalable; only addresses and local tips need to be adapted per neighborhood.
What this project contributes to the national circular transition
EHBV demonstrates that circular behavior change does not start with awareness campaigns, but with removing the barriers that make discarding the default option. Not a raised finger, but a helping hand at one of life’s most stressful moments.
By framing sustainability as smart and affordable, the intervention reaches a broader audience than just those who already care about sustainability. This increases its potential impact. For municipalities and organizations, EHBV offers a concrete example of how people-centered design can contribute to the circular transition. By actively involving residents, it delivers a solution that fits their reality and genuinely builds support.
