1999: The Future of Industrial Regions

Regional Strategies and local action towards sustainability
Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 17-20 September

Four Workshops:

I - Towards Sustainability in urban Quarters
II - Towards sustainable City and Town Centres and Transportation Networks
III-Towards sustainable industrial Areas
IV-Towards sustainable green Networks.

Young Planners' Workshop

Former mining plant consolidation; previous industrial area in the city of Gelsenkirchen with complex problems but great potentialities for the future needs a program and a strategy for future development.

Keywords & Concepts

Arrangement of rural spaces incorporating aspects of resources protection; natural spaces as contention for urban expansion and for leisure o recreation purposes; carrying capacity as key condition; green networks as urban spaces; networks as modification of microclimatic conditions and absorption of polluting elements; derelict lands as promoter of environmental quality of cities; stable overall vision to achieve long term results; new attitudes; trans-disciplinarity; new techniques and new “languages”; diffuse occupation of the space; manual of good practices; co-operation between administrative levels; inclusion of private initiative; static concept of green belt vs dynamic concept of green network; innovation within the existing situation; need of evolving plans and processes; restrict zoning areas = not sound planning entities; planning regions limits linked to political authority and real implication means; will and vitality of people = determining factor of change; “polycentricity” principle; identity at local and regional scale; development of man in harmony with its environment; land ownership and land use; poverty and illiteracy; involvement of stakeholders; ‘rewords‘: redevelop, relocation, re-use, restructure, refocus, redistribution; creative planning; tempering the expectations; planner as manager of change; urban form linked to less travel & energy; transport demand management; endogenous development plus exogenous development; civic education; public awareness; oversupply of planning bodies; computer modelling; local culture; industrial heritage; co-generation of energy; re-definitions of measurable sustainability indicators; more powerful institutions for regional and local self-government; greenery and green belts;…