🧱 Depaving action

When should you do this?

Spring or autumn, so the replanted vegetation gets off to a good start

What will you need?

• Pickaxe, crowbar, demolition hammer
• Wheelbarrow to haul away the rubble
• Protective gloves, safety glasses, steel-toe boots
• Topsoil, compost for backfilling
• Native plants or grass seed for replanting

How to get started?

1. Identify an unneeded, cracked, or underused paved surface (e.g. an old parking spot, a section of yard).
2. Get permission from the owner or local council, and check there's no utility line under the paving.
3. Mark out the section to remove, and organize machine or manual demolition depending on the size.
4. Break up the concrete or asphalt slabs and sort out the reusable rubble.
5. Haul away or repurpose the rubble elsewhere (e.g. a dry stone wall, a rock garden base).
6. Loosen the compacted soil underneath and work in some compost.
7. Plant native species or sow grass, or even create a rain garden in its place.
8. Document the before-and-after with photos.

Useful tips

• For heavy, machine-based demolition, bring in professional help — hand demolition suits smaller areas only.
• Most of the removed rubble can be reused — don't haul it to landfill needlessly.
• Pair it with a green wall or mulching project for an even bigger impact.