The new Urban Landscape in Essen: a Green Decade for the Ruhr region
How the city is rewriting its post-industrial identity through nature-based strategies, green-blue infrastructures, and the reactivation of open spaces — with LAND actively contributing to a resilient and inclusive urban future.
Essen, at the heart of the Ruhr region, is undergoing a profound transformation. No longer shaped solely by its industrial legacy, the city is reimagining itself through a growing framework of open spaces, water systems, and productive green corridors. The recently released publication, “Essen. Ruhrmetropole. Stadtentwicklung 21+”, brings together reflections, case studies, and visions from a broad alliance of planners, landscape architects, and citymakers.
LAND‘s commitment emerges in contributions to flagship projects such as Krupp Park, Neue Wege zum Wasser, and the European Green Capital Award, where resilient urban design merges with ecological thinking. More than just greening the city — they give it identity, climate adaptability, and social value. Essen’s new development model is built around visibility of water, layered mobility, and inclusive public spaces — turning “Freiraum schafft Stadtraum” into a lived principle.
This publication is both a record and a roadmap: a call for cities to regenerate from within, reconnecting nature, people, and places.
Learn more about Essen – Ruhrmetropole here
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Partners and Allies
How the city is rewriting its post-industrial identity through nature-based strategies, green-blue infrastructures, and the reactivation of open spaces — with LAND actively contributing to a resilient and inclusive urban future.
