5 questions for: Krista Jongsma
Details
Krista Jongsma is Communications & Organisation Officer at NVTL & DSL since June 2025.
5 questions for: is a section on NVTL.nl and in newsletter Het Kanaal. We offer members a chance to speak. Members who have been in membership for years, new members, student members and bureau members. Would you like to participate or nominate someone? You are welcome to do so, because we are always looking for new inspiring stories! Send us an email.
1. Who are you and what is your background?
Hi! My name is Krista and I have been working at NVTL and DSL – Dutch School of Landscape Architecture, a partnership between the Dutch and Flemish garden and landscape education programmes, since June. Personally, I took a study journey from History, via Archaeology, to Garden and Landscape Design at Larenstein. I am interested in the long term, the way in which the landscape has developed over the centuries. How it has become what it is today and where it might be heading in the future. I am quite concerned about the latter, so I am becoming increasingly active as an environmental activist as well.
Unfortunately, as a designer and technical drafter, I developed severe RSI, which forced me to stop drawing and develop into an all-round communications officer. I worked in the cultural sector for a long time, including 10 years at architecture museum Het Schip (tip!) and at contemporary art gallery Bart. Communication is a profession that I enjoy very much; I am interested in the effective communication of information in words and images, in marketing and in inspiring audiences. How wonderful that in this job for NVTL I can combine communication once again with garden and landscape architecture!
2. Which garden and/or landscape design or landscape in the Netherlands appeals to you the most and why?
When it comes to landscapes, I am truly obsessed with differences in elevation and the variety they create. I always want to climb every hill or observation tower and view the landscape from above. So I am very excited about the upcoming Young NVTL cycling excursion: Utrecht from Above. I am most happy in the Veluwe with its moraines and the Limburg hills, or closer to home, the dunes. Perhaps because I grew up in the polder landscape of North Holland, next to the Markermeer, I long for the opposite of endless meadows and water.
In terms of garden and landscape design, I am personally most interested in integrating nature into urban landscapes. It’s really cool to see developments that were still a bit futuristic during my studies now becoming a reality. I’m very excited to see how urban greenery will continue to develop in the future, with more climbing plants, green roofs, planted balconies, moss concrete, open paving and herbaceous borders. I enjoy wandering through Amsterdam and often discover a newly greened up street or a building where plants are truly integrated, or a place where local residents are actively involved in the collective garden. I myself have started a miniature nature patch on my balcony and am pleasantly surprised by the insect activity on 4 square metres on the 3rd floor. I am harvesting the seeds and guerrilla sowing them throughout the neighbourhood.
3. You have been working at NVTL since June. As a communications officer, what are your responsibilities?
At NVTL, I am responsible for a wide range of communication activities, ranging from answering questions from members and external parties to developing content for our website, social media, Het Kanaal, Blauwe Kamer and the press. I try to diversify the content of news items and events with substantive articles and projects from members. Image and design play a major role, and I love using attractive material to bring the content to life and to enhance the visibility of the field of garden and landscape architecture.
Under the leadership of my colleague Willemijn, I am also working on organising events, such as the programme surrounding the book presentation of Een Vereniging van Tuinkunstenaars (An Association of Garden Artists) by Uitgeverij Blauwdruk on 24 October. But I also work on strategic issues and streamlining systems. For DSL, I will mainly be involved in organising ECLAS 2026: TAKE CARE – planetary landscape architecture. DSL will host this edition of the annual international ECLAS conference from 16 to 20 September 2026 at Delft University of Technology. Mark these dates in your calendar!
4. How do you plan to bring NVTL members more into the spotlight?
The NVTL’s current communications mainly focus on activities and news items that are of interest to the members. I would like to expand this with more in-depth professional articles, in which experts discuss various important topics. If desired, I would like to introduce new members to the network, and I would especially like to showcase many more member projects. This would also make the content more interesting for the network outside our member network itself, including clients. For example, a weekly Project in Focus section, in which various members are asked, or volunteer, to share an innovative project with the network. Think of a technical ingenuity or interesting design solution, creative use of materials, a special biotope or planting combination, special strategy, participation process, or important research. We are happy to present it to generate more publicity for the project or bureau!
5. In your opinion, what does NVTL need in terms of communication to strengthen itself?
In my role as communications officer, I actively expand NVTL’s network, contacting external parties with the aim of strengthening ties. On social media, I network with new parties and try to also match the content for example to clients, governments, nature organisations, international parties and potential members. Note to the Meta critics: we also started an NVTL Bluesky-account in June.
It would be good to strengthen ties with students and educational institutions, for example through career fairs, targeted campaigns and the DSL. I have also noticed that much of what the bureau, board and active members in working groups do, particularly in the areas of networking and government lobbying, is not sufficiently communicated to the outside world, which means that all this work by the NVTL and its results remain invisible. I hope to be able to showcase this more. I would therefore like to conclude with an appeal: if you are interested in sharing your expertise in one of the project teams or committees, please let us know!
