Revitalisation of the former industrial sites

Ruhrgebiet(Germany)

ElenaMozgovaya

Technical University Darrnstadt, Germany

Ruhrgebiet, Germany

Agenda

Background info Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr valley): rise and fall

Project for revitalisation of Ruhrgebiet: IBA Empscher Landscape Park Subprojects

Some thoughts

Conurbation Ruhr- 5.3 mln people in 53 cities

1864 - 1986Heartland of Europe's steel and coal industries

“Black” Age of Rurhgebiet

1986abandonment of steel works and coal mining

operations (4 out of 200 mining are still active)

=> Legacy of high unemployment and environmental contamination

275000 unemployedpeople

Emscher River- 70 kilometers from east to west through the region.- acting as a waste water canal since the end of late 19th century

=>for decades- a biologically dead 'open sewer'

Project of Revitalisation

1989 – 1999 - regional redevelopment plan "International Building Exhibition (IBA) at Emscher Park”

What: ecological, economic, and urban revitalization of the Ruhr Valley and the Emscher River :

“to give the region a greener image, and breathe life into the old industrial plants”

How: several collaborative partnerships with various agencies and 17 local authorities

1999 – 2014 - successor plan "Project Ruhr"

What: completing the IBA plan, and cleaning the EmscherHow: taking over the task of management and the entire

project series from expired IBA pan

Project of Revitalisation

- 800 km2 – the largest renaturalization project in Europe

- "green connector" between 17 towns of the Rhur valley,

- following the path of the Emscher River

- using the abandoned industrial areas as a unique form of greenspace

- joining 7 existing but expanded north-south greenbelts

IBA Emsher Landscape Park

Participating municipalities

Ruhrgebiet

100 subprojects in 5 categories- remedial work on the industrial landscape,

- cleaning up the Emscher river system,

- new-build commercial and educational facilities,

- housing developments,

- re-use of derelict industrial installations.

Revitalisation of Emscher river

- installation of underground sewers;

- re-profiling of the river for better flood management;

- changing of part of the river's course - from a straight narrow concrete channel back to a wide curved pool;

- trees and native plants have been introduced along the bank.

Housing25 housing projects ('garden city' model):

3,000 refurbished houses and 2,500 new housing units with sustainable features

(75% are public sector rented accommodation) -

modern structures with a focus on ecological sustainability

Tourism: industrial heritage trail

Gasometer Oberhausen

The largest gas holder in Europe

117 m high

60 m diameter

→ Huge exhibition hall

Events

Results

- the image of the area has improved dramatically,

- around 5000 new jobs have been created,

- the project has increased the citizens' awareness of the historical significance of their surroundings,

- experience for municipalities

Emscher Park - a symbol for innovation and is an example of how unique opportunities can be identified in a place full of challenges.

Funding

> 1.5 billion euro – overall budget of IBA projects:

2/3 – public: State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, European Union,

1/3 – private: developers, private companies, non-profit groups and local town governments

Thoughts

Can we change the operations of a whole local culture from the scale of coal and steel to the scale of a future?

- not yet known

Plans for 770 new ones in China and India

(2007)

COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

Shutting downin Germany

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THANK YOU