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GermanyBroad access to urban regenerationGermany has a federal structure, and housing policy comes under the individual Länder This means that urban regeneration policy is implemented differently in the different parts of the country. In practice, however, it is the local authorities that do the local planning. The local authority acts, while the Federal Government and the Länder support, advise and control Germany has been practising integrated urban regeneration for 25 years. The relevant legislation provides support schemes for improvement of streets and squares, design of green areas, development of the social and cultural infrastructure, resident involvement, and many other drives. Integrated urban regeneration is the most common form of urban regeneration in Germany. Despite the broad access, experience shows that the basis is always physical, architectural improvements. These can always be linked with other measures, and urban regeneration can in this way form the basis for social and employment initiatives. The town-planning basis for urban regeneration is the so-called framework plans, which are an informal planning instrument. Urban regenerationUrban regeneration is treated as a unified whole, which means that one agrees upon and coordinates a variety of measures in a specific area over a 10-15-year period. The basis is a comprehensive analysis that identifies potentials and conflicts in the entire problem area. Urban deficiencies include weaknesses in the quality and equipment of buildings, homes and workplaces, together with functional weaknesses in the area (transport, trade and industry, supply and social and cultural infrastructure). It is always the buildings - the physical, architectural aspects -that form the basis for assessment of the area. The local authority receives government support when an urban regeneration area has been included in one of the federal programmes to promote urban regeneration. The support is given in the form of a cash grant. The financing of the urban regeneration measures is regulated in agreements between the Federal Government and the Länder In principle, the local authorities receive 2/3 from the Federal Government and the Länder and must themselves provide the last 1/3. The grant money for urban regeneration is only paid when all other possibilities of financing the planned projects have been exhausted. The framework plan/ town planningThe framework plan is the main planning instrument in urban regeneration in Germany. There is no fixed form for the framework plan. On the contrary, it can be formulated to suit the task. It is not legally binding but constitutes a working hypothesis, and certainly provides an overall mission for the area. The framework plan is continuously developed with the formulation of detailed plans for selected geographical cells (Blockkonzept). National programmesGermany also has a number of national programmes that serve as models. ExWoSt and EXPO are the best known examples. ExWoStExWoSt: Experimenteller Wohnungs- und Städtebau (Experimental Housing and Urban Development) is a national research programme under the Federal Ministry of Regional Planning, Housing and Urban Development. Within the framework of this programme the Federal Republic supports model projects in the form of showcase studies of selected planning and building measures. The projects achieving a grant are monitored scientifically in order to learn from the practical experience gained from them. The research field in question Städte der Zukunft (The Towns of the Future) - is of importance to integrated urban regeneration. Here, within the framework of Local Agenda 21, researchers are trying to link the experience gained in all ExWoSt research areas. Besides Güstrow, the cities of Münster, Heidelberg and Dessau have been selected as model cities. In addition, Güstrow, has been included in the research area "Städtebauliche Errneuerung von Städten, Kleinstäciten und Dörfern" (Urban Regeneration of Towns and Villages). The aim is to test the use of integrated solutions in the subsidisation of urban regeneration under the special conditions in the new German Länder EXPOEXPO 2000 will be held in Germany in the period 1 June to 31 October 2000. The theme "Man - Nature -Technology" will be presented at the EXPO area in Hannover, at local venues in Germany and all over the world. The world exhibition's local projects are intended to provide examples of how problems can be solved locally, also in the long term. This includes good suggestions for solutions in integrated urban development. The German projects will be presented in the German pavilion in Hannover and can also be seen directly in situ. Local authorities were given the opportunity to submit project proposals and register for the following themes:
The registered projects are intended to end in the year 2000. They do not receive any financial support through EXPO but can only market their status as registered EXPO projects and are also required to present their concepts to a wider public at the planning stage. Programmes in the LänderInnovative urban regeneration programmes are also developing in the Länder Nordrhein-Westfalen's programme is the best known. There, a structural programme called IBA has been adopted. The programme, which is running from 1989 to 1999, has the aim of regenerating the northern part of the Ruhr district both ecologically and architecturally. In addition, IBA stands for new social and cultural activities and for new ways of involving the local population. Over 4,000 people are involved in the planning and implementation of more than 100 projects in 17 "IBA towns". The total investment is around DKK 15 billion. IBA has created more than 30,000 jobs.
Plagwitz in Leipzig was built around the turn of the century as a complete district with housing and as an industrial area with a beautifully planned transport system of roads, railway and canals. The district has a special historical identity with many listed industrial buildings. The district already fell into a state of neglect in the former East Germany. People employed in industry obtained well-equipped homes in a nearby industrialised housing project in Grünau, while the empty housing units in Plagwitz (about 30% of the housing stock) was left to decay. On top of that, the district's economic structure collapsed after 1989 and Plagwitz became the part of the Leipzig with the highest unemployment and the lowest average income. Since 1990, around 16,000 jobs have gone.
In 1992, with a view to identifying deficiencies and presenting preliminary proposals for solutions, Plagwitz was designated as a research area, and in 1995, it was formally specified as a regeneration area and regeneration targets were formulated. In addition, in 1997, Plagwitz was made an EXPO area. One important aim for the area is to maintain the traditional close connection between home and workplace and to improve the area's ecological situation. Initially, improving the poor housing stock was the top priority, but today more attention is being paid to upgrading public spaces. One can already say that Plagwitz is developing from a dilapidated industrial district into an attractive urban area in which the close relationship between home and work has been partially re-established. EXPO is an engine that is accelerating the area's urban regeneration and gathering together forces, ideas and money.
Güstrow, with around 37,000 inhabitants, is a sparsely populated, industrially underdeveloped and predominantly rural area. The revolution in DDR in November 1989 brought a structural change in every respect: the economic structure collapsed and this was followed by the collapse of the social security network. The historical town centre in Güstrow, is dilapidated and characterised by decay. The "North West area, which is close to the inner city, just on the other side of the railway line, is characterised by unused land, decay, a problematical division of sites and contamination from earlier times. In the last few years, Güstrow has suffered from massive emigration and unemployment of more than 20% - higher than the average for the new German Länder In Güstrow, a model project within integrated urban regeneration is in progress. It is linked to the Local Agenda 21 work. The integrated project prioritises climate protection (particularly air Environment Days in Güstrow and noise), environmental management of local transport, safeguarding nature and landscape, environmental information, education, tourism and careful use of resources (particularly water / wastewater, energy and waste), prophylactic health measures and strengthening social networks. The framework programmes EXPO and ExWoSt are important because they mean that implementation of the project can be speeded up. Linking the two programmes has accelerated development.
Marxloh is situated in the northern part of Duisburg. It was built between 1910 and 1930 and the housing was built by the coal and steel companies. Today, Marxloh has about 21,600 inhabitants, 36% of whom are immigrants. From the beginning of the 1960s to the beginning of the 1990s, the town lost 91,000 jobs, 80% of them in the coal and steel industry. Marxloh is included as a sub-project in the international building exhibition IBA Emscher Park. The main objective of this sub-project is to improve the housing and employment conditions in the area, exploiting the area's own potentials. In other words, the local residents, especially those without jobs, must be able to find employment for and in the area - primarily in connection with the urban regeneration project. All institutions and people living and working in the area are involved in the development of ideas, planning and implementation. In addition, political committees at local and Land level are required to participate in the dialogue on Marxloh's problems and their solution. The project relies heavily on PR work, including extensive information activities in the community and involvement and activation of the residents. Labour market policy instruments are another vital element, and residents are always involved in the practical implementation of sub-projects. With the Marxloh project it has thus been possible to link labour market policy and urban regeneration. |
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Marxloh extensive use has been made of local manpower in connection
with the physical transformation 
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