Factors in (Sub-)Urban Landscape Transformation - Comparison of the Ruhr Region with the New York / New Jersey Metropolitan Region.

Abstract

This paper explores landscape and open space as elements of regional transformation. The focus is on landscape as a resource during the period of industrialization and the abundance of "used-up" landscapes resulting from industrial decline. These post-industrial landscapes provide an exceptional opportunity for developing high-quality public open spaces. However, the context of economic pressures and political decision-making become particularly relevant at times when public funding for Parks and land preservation is limited or challenged. A critical comparison between the Ruhr Region and the Northern New Jersey metropolitan area provides a case study of two regions which were shaped by rapid industrialization in the nineteenth century and several waves of economic transformations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The paper is discussing why the adaptive re-use of contaminated post-industrial sites is important for economic recovery and how available land resources can be used to create open space systems to support resiliency, regeneration and recreation. A strong political will and effective collaboration between the public and private sectors have helped to create a cohesive open space system in the Ruhr Region. Relating this story to New Jersey reveals that the Garden State has significant potential for open space development still waiting to be realized.