De buurt als ecosysteem

De buurt als ecosysteem (the neighborhood as ecosystem) is a Dutch programme, initiated by Buurtzorg founder Jos de Blok, that organises health and care around the neighborhood. Residents, volunteers, GPs, district nurses, social workers and local organisations work together so that people get support close to home and need less professional care.

The programme is carried by an alliance of fifteen neighborhood care organisations, of which Buurtzorg is a leading member, working with health insurers VGZ and Zilveren Kruis and with university research partners. It started in 2024 in twenty neighborhoods, with a first €40 million from the transformation funds of the Dutch Integrated Care Agreement (IZA).

Five pillars

• Prevention before treatment
• Integrated primary care: GPs, district nursing and social work together
• Specialised care brought to the home and the neighborhood
• Stronger informal networks and community-building
• Neighborhoods that learn from each other

In practice

In a participating neighborhood, a local team maps the associations, businesses, churches and community groups that are already there and connects residents who want to help with neighbors who need support. Activities range from walking groups and café afternoons to health checks and training sessions.

The alliance aims to grow from twenty neighborhoods to forty by 2027 and eighty by 2029.

Sources

• Skipr, Buurt als ecosysteem krijgt eerste 40 miljoen euro, 2 August 2024 (in Dutch)
• InEen, Buurt als ecosysteem: de gemeenschap ontlast de zorg, 20 February 2026 (in Dutch)
• debuurtalsecosysteem.nl (in Dutch)