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The new Emscher Valley – providing impetus in the region
The Emscher conversion is more than just the conversion of a river – its vision is a New Emscher Valley. But what does this vision mean? There is no valley in the topographical sense between Dortmund and Dinslaken. It’s more about a programmatic definition of a new space extending far beyond the banks of the river and the Emscher Landscape Park’s open spaces. The New Emscher Valley includes the region’s housing estates, infrastructure, commercial areas and industrial facilities – spaces where other stakeholders outside the EMSCHERGENOSSENSCHAFT will take up the urban planning impetus provided by the river’s conversion.
A joint project for the region
The “Emscher Future“ Master Plan was developed together with Emscher’s cities and districts and supported in a unanimous vote by the city and district councils. The Master Plan covers the following fields of activity:
- The New Emscher,
- Water meadows near residential areas and ecological network,
- The Emscher pathways system,
- Site development potential in the area: open spaces,
- Site development potential in the area: residential spaces,
- Integration of third party projects and communications.
The Emscher Future Master Plan – planning specifications for three areas
Because of our role as regional water manager, we look out into the region from the Emscher and its tributaries. Our starting point in planning therefore takes the New Emscher as its core area, an area whose future development, flood protection and ecological functionality must be ensured. The EMSCHERGENOSSENSCHAFT manages these tasks alone in accordance with its legal mandate. Directly connected to the core area is the integration area. Here the Master Plan contributes with ideas for developing open and urban spaces, in developing design typologies for example, but also for linking the New Emscher with its environment. It is characteristic of the integration area that the upcoming tasks here will be tackled in collaboration with regional planning partners. The complementary area, the third area, will be defined by topics in a broader environment. Here the impetus of the Emscher conversion can and must be continued without our active involvement.
© Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband