From Industry to Culture in the Ruhr Area

• Published in Euroscope

Restructuring Europe’s Rustbelt

The Case of the German Ruhrgebiet

With the enlargement of the European Union its “Rustbelt”, the mosaic of regions traditionally specialised in heavy industries such as coal and steel, will also be enlarged. The new member states in Eastern Europe have many regions that face industrial decline and need to be restructured. What can these traditional industrial areas learn from the case of the German Ruhrgebiet, one of Europe’s most prominent examples of regional industrial restructuring?

By Gert-Jan Hospers

Marisa López

@sisulopez