The first time I came in contact with participation was during my studies of Biology at the Wageningen University. I worked together with a multidisciplinary team of students to figure out how to incorporate the needs and wishes of residents in a communal garden design. We developed a new tool based on the SWOT-analyses to assess the requirements and needs of residents and give them a weighing. After my studies I worked in the scientific field (doctorates program), in ecological consultancy, in tree management and acted as a mediator to guide different interests together. Currently, I work as a policy advisor green and ecology at the municipality of Dordrecht. Connecting citizens with nature is vital for our cities in order to make them and keep them liveable, healthy and biodiverse. Redesigning an existing city for the sole purpose of making it greener is really a new development. It is challenging and complicated. Giving citizens a role in this change is important to get their support. Reconnecting society with nature seems to be a task for the coming years.