The Ruhr renaissance

Its last coal mine closed its doors in 1986, leaving behind regrets and bitterness. But today, the city of Essen and its 600,000 inhabitants are at the heart of a modernised metropolis that is proud of its new identity. Thanks to a series of transformation projects, the whole of the Ruhr Basin has risen from its ashes.
Initially set up for a ten-year term to incite the area’s urban development, the IBA (International Building Exhibition) Emscher Park, a veritable local driving force, rapidly turned the decline of the steel industry into a distant memory. As in other metropolises, this was a territory going through economic and social turmoil before the start of operations. Both isolated and de-industrialised, it stood by helplessly as its population was drained at a drastic rate. Thanks to a set of future-focused development projects, a vast space of 800 km2 affecting 3 million inhabitants has now been transformed.
Some 120 projects have been undertaken on 93 different sites. Construction was largely carried out between 1990 and 2000. Each of these has been subject to
a study pertaining to a list of criteria on quality and conformity to objectives. Amongst the strategic axes privileged by the IBA’s decision-making committee is landscape development, in view of allowing nature and environmental attractiveness to play a role. The ecological restoration of the Emscher river system and the promotion of an industrial heritage where art and culture were neglected have justified other development projects. Privilege has also been placed on offering an attractive living environment to counter the demographic decline, as well as the development of new activities contributing to the change of the economic basin.
A priority was placed on developing the tertiary sector. Essen and its surrounding area now host 13 of the 100 head offices of the largest German companies. Thanks to new research centres, medicine and the health sector have developed considerably in the region, as well as energy and new information and electronic technologies.
The conversion of industrial wasteland, the treatment of rivers, the transformation of existing sites into offices, innovative business incubators, shopping and entertainment centres, have completely metamorphosed the territory.
Another spearhead of development is the renovation of train stations, as well as the artistic transformation of former industrial sites. 2010 will be particularly significant for the Ruhr as it takes on the title of European capital of culture for the year. “The integration of social and cultural aspects to the development of a metropolis is vital. Its capacity to survive long term can only be strengthened by this,” observes Heinz Reif, an economics researcher at Humboldt University in Berlin, specialising in urban and mobility issues. Immense construction sites for new residences have also sprung up. The rehabilitation of working-class estates and new constructions have made several thousands of residences available. 75% of these are housing projects.
From the start of the 2000s onwards, these projects have largely become motors in economic, tourist and cultural development recognised on the international scale. The total sum of investments made in the context of the IBA Emscher Park is estimated at 2.5 billion euros, including 1.5 billion in public funds.
But most of the land used in projects had formerly been acquired by the regional property fund for the purpose of recycling industrial wasteland. The SARL (equivalent of the “Ltd.” or private limited liability company) set up for IBA benefitted from an operational budget of 3 million euros per year for 30 employees, in other words 30 million euros over ten years of activity. The IBA relies on a single cost item relating to the functioning of its structure. All of the projects it undertakes are financed by existing budgetary lines or in partnership with the private sector. Operational costs are entirely undertaken by the Land (or state).
The IBA can pride itself on accomplishing its mission: as of 2000, numerous projects have continued the dynamic triggered off by this initiative. On the local scale, no less than 178 projects have been completed in the course of the last decade. 248 other initiatives are currently under development or in the works. “This is a fine example of the transition of a former industrial space to a modern metropolis conscious of the assets of its original culture,” sums Heinz Reif.