International Building Exhibition Research Articles

The International Building Exhibition (IBA) Emscher Park, Germany: A Model for Sustainable Restructuring?

The International Building Exhibition (IBA), Emscher Park was a 10 year programme of the Land Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany, between 1989 and 1999. It was designed to initiate restructuring in the part of the Ruhr region, the Emscher, which has been suffering the most from economic, environmental and social decline for many decades. One of the Exhibition's principle features was that restructuring should take an holistic view rather than simply trying to attract inward investment and jobs. As a result the programme was based around a huge 80 km long landscape park. This report aims to introduce and critically assess the IBA, in relation to the principles of sustainability with some thoughts for the future. It begins by outlining what sustainability means for the Ruhr and Emscher regions, moving on to describe the unique nature of the Exhibition. It then considers whether or not the initiative adheres to sustainability principles and discusses the successes and failures. The report ends with a brief look at what can be learned from the exhibition, both within the region and outside.

Zwischen Verstand und Gefuhl? Das Dilemma der Disziplin Landespflege/Landschaftsplanung/Landschaftsarchitektur

(1999). Zwischen Verstand und Gefuhl? Das Dilemma der Disziplin Landespflege/Landschaftsplanung/Landschaftsarchitektur. disP - The Planning Review: Vol. 35, Landschaftsarchitektur, pp. 35-39.

Restructuring old industrial and inner urban areas: A contrastive analysis of state policies in Great Britain and Germany

Abstract This paper deals with two outstanding forms of state intervention devised to cope with structural change in old industrial areas: Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) in Great Britain and the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition (IBA) in the Ruhr district in Germany. In Sections 2 and 3, we deal with UDCs and the IBA separately, concentrating on their history, objectives, modes of operation, financial arrangements, and their relationship with other heal and state agencies. Furthermore, these two policies are related to the general political and social situation in Britain and Germany. In Section 4, we compare the IBA with UDCs directly, discussing whether these schemes can be considered a success with regard to their own objectives. Of particular importance is the role of the local level and the opportunity for various actors, interest groups and public bodies to participate in the process of restructuring. Finally, we reflect upon the implications for planning in general emanating fro...