Projekt M 10 Conceptual elements for the Ruhr Area as an UNESCO world heritage site

Two years ago several actors in the Ruhr area (including the regional planning association RVR, the Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur and some municipalities, Faculty of Spatial Planning TU Dortmund, Ruhr University Bochum) started a joined effort to apply for a spatial extension of the status of a UNESCO world heritage site. So far only the Zeche Zollverein in Essen is listed. The idea to present a whole region as an ensemble of several sites of industrial culture (mining settlements, railway and water infrastructures, blast furnaces, pits and mining areas) is quite new for the UNESCO world heritage regime. Without doubt the Ruhr area is a unique place that represents the industrial age in Europe. However, during the application process it became apparent that a concept is needed that illustrates convincingly the relationships between the various sites (round about 40). What constitutes the spatial character of the ensemble in the material, social and historical dimension? What is the region? What are the expectations and consequences of a succesful application? The answer to this questions have implications for spatial planning and regional development in the Ruhr area. The project will try to find the binding elements of the isolated sites. Some reflections are under way in the Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur based on expert knowledge. We will start from this reflections but certainly will develop our own approach. In terms of methods we will learn about creativity techniques. The result will be a report with strong conceptual elements as a virtual part of an UNESCO application. A public presentation in the facilities of the Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur in Dortmund (Kokerei Hansa) is planned. Master Raumplanung (2008) M.Sc. Spatial Planning (2012): A marked module exam (project report and disputation) is required to pass this module. More information in the examination regulations, the module handbook and in German in the -Projektwiki-. Please contact the lecturers or the Centre for Student and Project Affairs (SPZ) in case of further questions regarding the project or urban studio work. M.Sc. Raumplanung (2008): Das Modul wird mit zwei unbenoteten Teilleistungen abgeschlossen. Weitere Informationen in Prüfungsordnung, Modulhandbuch und Projektwiki. Technische Universität Dortmund SoSe 2014 Master Raumplanung (2012) 3 Prof. Dr. A Zimmermann Karsten 3 A