Gelsenkirchen „Rheinelbe“

Context

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Besides various architectural and cultural projects, the international architectural exhibition IBA Emscher Park (1989 to 1999) in the Ruhr region was also aimed at developing a “green infrastructure”. 120 individual projects were realized in six action areas (conversion of the “Emscher System”, employment, housing, social impulses, industrial culture and landscape park). In the „Emscher Landscape Park“, numerous industrial and mining wastelands had been redesigned to create parks and green spaces. One of the areas created in this context was the industrial forest Ruhr region (Industriewald Ruhrgebiet). The forest warden station on the former pit site “Rheinelbe” in Gelsenkirchen (pop. 289.000) has a sum total of ten decentralized areas to look after by now.

Project description

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From a lack of use perspectives for some wastelands – and also due to financial considerations – a so-called “Residual Area Project” was created, initially on three sites in the NRW state proprietary fund which now form the industrial forest Ruhr area. Jointly with the NRW State Forestry Commission, the IBA Emscher Park operatives conceived new development objectives for sites formerly occupied by the pits “Rheinelbe” (approximately 50 ha) and “Alma” (approximately 20 ha), and for the environment of the “Pit Tariff Union Shaft XII” (approx. 100 ha) in Essen. On the „Rheinelbe“ and „Zollverein“ sites, artists created so-called „sculptural locations” on the subject of “art and nature”, using sculptures and installations made from natural stone and overburden materials. In the plans drawn up by the project partner BUND (German union for environmental and nature concerns), the “Alma” site, which had fallen into disuse in the 1960s and later found intermittent use as a racing track, is predominantly dedicated to the protection of species and nature.

Owing to the dedication as a forest area, the requirements for contaminated site remediation and road safety could be kept to a minimum. It was hence possible to make the sites accessible for residents and visitors with relatively little effort. Following a twofold „maintenance + development“ concept, the areas are tended by employees of the forest warden station jointly with adolescents from a training project in Gelsenkirchen (GABS), but left to nature and the sites’ various users in all other respects. The Ruhr region industrial forest has meanwhile been expanded successively by further large wastelands and today includes over ten sites. The „management“ is dedicated to the aim of natural development. But this framework also allows for residents using sections for local recreation, sports and play. In addition, the Gelsenkirchen forest warden station offers guided tours of the industrial forest's flora and fauna.

The sites are part of the NRW state proprietary fund which is managed by the state development company LEG. The LEG has drawn up a co-called "forestry administration agreement" with the responsible forest office in Recklinghausen. The industrial forest project is being sponsored with funds from an ecology programme for the Emscher-Lippe-Region.

Project chronology

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Aims

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• Development of natural recreation areas and free spaces near the inner city
• Opening up closed areas for local residents and visitors
• Maintaining and creating spaces for social retreat
• Using wastelands as a nature playground for children and adolescents
• Combining open space development, art and nature protection
• Providing wild animals and plants with retreat spaces
• Creating jobs for unemployed adolescents

Types of measures

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• Dedication as a forest area
• Eschewing „excessive“ control
• Maintenance-oriented development: necessary road building measures, occasional planting, pruning and maintenance of vegetation
• Maintenance contracts with private owners of neighbouring areas
• Art projects and creation of „sculptural locations“ (Rheinelbe and Zollverein)
• Nature protection-related maintenance measures: de-sludging, creation of new spawning grounds for amphibians, clearing of pioneer forests (Alma pit)

Innovations

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This project served to test new ways of handling industrial wastelands. The dedication as a forest area created great liberties in terms of road securing and accessibility. New free spaces could be developed into forested areas near the city with minimal expense, using an intelligent area dedication. The combination of open space development, art and nature protection opens up unusual recreation and retreat areas for the residents and particularly for local children and adolescents.

Sources

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• IBA Emscher Park (ed.) (1999): IBA '99. Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park (IBA 99. International Architecture Exhibition Emscher Park). Katalog der Projekte 1999(Project Catalogue 1999). n. p.
• Dettmar, Jörg / Ganser, Karl (ed.) (1999): IndustrieNatur. Ökologie und Gartenkunst im Emscher-Park (Industrial Nature. Ecology and Horticultural Art in the Emscher Park). Stuttgart (layout plan, aerial shot)
• IBA Emscher Park GmbH (1998): Projekte im Rahmen der IBA Emscher Park in Gelsenkirchen (Projects Included in the IBA Emscher Park in Gelsenkirchen). Gelsenkirchen
• TOPOS European Landscape Magazine (1999): Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park / IBA - a renewal concept for a region. March 26 1999. München

Further information

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• http://www.iba.nrw.de
• Bund Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) (German Union for Environmental and Nature Concerns) Gelsenkirchen (Alma pit)
• Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft NRW (LEG) (NRW State Development Society), Grundstücksfonds des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW State Proprietary Fund)

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 45886 - town: Gelsenkirchen - street: Leithestraße .

Protagonists

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• Landesforstverwaltung Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW State Forestry Commission), Forstamt (Forestry Office) Recklinghausen, Forststation (Forestry warden Station) Rheinelbe, Gelsenkirchen, Oliver Balke (forestry warden), tel. 0209/14748-44, fax -45, email: oliver.balke@fa-recklinghausen.lfv.nrw.de
• Amt für Stadtentwicklung und Wirtschaftsförderung (Department of Urban Development and the Promotion of Trade and Industry), Stadt Gelsenkirchen (Gelsenkirchen Council), Frank Lamfried, tel. 0209/169-4790, fax -4260, email: frank.lamfried@gelsenkirchen.de
• Gesellschaft für Arbeitsförderung, berufliche Bildung und Soziokultur (GABS) gGmbH (Society for Employment Promotion, Professional Education and Socio-Culture), Gelsenkirchen, tel. 0209/940610, Fax 0209/9406111 (training and employment for hard to place unemployed adolescents), homepage: http://www.gabs.de
• Urban development society “LEG Stadtentwicklung GmbH & Co. KG“,Stabsstelle Treuhandverwaltung und Vertragsmanagement (staff office fiduciary services and contract management), Gerhard Nenne, tel. 0231/4341-259, email: gerhard.menne@leg-nrw.de
• German nature protection organization „Bund Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND)) Gelsenkirchen (Alma pit)