Place-making and 'green' reuses of brownfields in the Ruhr

Depending on location, size and former use, brownfields in the Ruhr have different potentials. Besides brownfields where viable regeneration projects are possible there are many sites that are not attractive to the market. One type of use for this category is post-industrial nature (e.g. industrial forests). Following the overall concept of sustainable development, these sites offer potentials for creative 'place-making' by local residents. The approach of 'place-making' is embedded in the discussion of establishing local governance in urban districts of the Ruhr. Introducing one best-practice-case (the Rheinelbe industrial forest in Gelsenkirchen), the paper focuses on the discussion of 'place-making' as a strategy for innovative brownfield development and local governance using the example of the former Lohberg colliery in Dinslaken.