New Technology for a New Century
International Conference 
FIG Working Week 2001, Seoul, Korea 6–11 May 2001

Session 20 - Urban Regeneration and Urban Land Readjustment

URBAN REGENERATION - CONCLUSIONS AND RESULTS OF COMMISSION 8 PROJECTS

Helmut BRACKMANN, Germany

Key words


ABSTRACT

If we look to the realities of urban development in the last decades and for the future we have to recognize the great field of activities from different actors which are influencing them locally, in Europe and worldwide in a very stormy time of global changes.

The contribution will address some reasons, influences and results of these procedures with an overview about some examples out of a series of given reports from different countries in the different events in the last years.

All of them are part of sharing and deepening international knowledge on the way to shape the future for more sustainable urban development and life-conditions in the cities and the agglomeration areas of the world.

REASONS FOR CHANGING

In all times of urban history and urban development existed guidelines, rules and frameworks basing on natural resources, on conditions in living together or in modern states by law for human settlements.

Some examplary reasons for that from today's point of view in the last decades were:

1. Political crisis or changes

  • countries in transition
  • reunion of Germany
  • stop of apartheid
  • the confusion in the Balcans

2. Continuity of increasing population in the big cities and the agglomeration-process in most countries

  • problems with mass traffic
  • shortage of energy
  • water and food supplies
  • sewage plants
  • dumping areas

3. Economical changes and the ecological conditions

  • the time after transition period
  • the EURO
  • natural disasters
  • water and food qualities
  • the carbon monoxide reality

4. The changing in ideals

  • charta from Athens
  • the summit of Rio
  • the optimization of traffic systems
  • the e-revolution
  • the rural exodus
  • city-air makes free
  • informal settlements

5. High unemployment in most of old industrialized areas

  • necessity of reconstruction of areas instead of urban sprawl
  • alternative business

6. Less money and new forms of financing

  • public private partnership
  • new foundations for culture facilities and infrastructure
  • private financing of building infrastructure
  • better facility management
  • etc.

This as an outline of the most important points in giving reasons for changes in the globalization world was the special taskforce of the most activities of the commission 8 work in the last four years.

There have been a whole string of excellent examples and contributions during the different events beginning with the Congress in Brighton ending at the Congress in Washington next year, where the Commission will present a printed report about all the measures in different countries.

REVIEW TO COMMISSION WORK

At this moment I remind the listeners of the redevelopment of an industrial site from the viewpoint of urban planning in Tampere, Finland, in which was shown a gradual alteration in the use of a 23-hectare Tampella site considering the Finnish Building Act in addition to environmental, social and cultural impacts.

Or in a more social way the project of Delfshaven in the Netherlands where a special kind of participation (Neighbourhood Development Corporation) and real estate management is responsible for getting an economic recovery and within that more work and education, more safety for the people in the city and more liveability and care.

The participants to the Rotterdam/Ruhrdistrict meeting in autumn 1999 pointed out the accompanying importance of culture and landscape in the procedures of urban regeneration. There was a broad discussion about the highlights and the process meaning of the International Building Exhibition in Germany as well in the discussion about the importance of national heritage in the industrial monuments as in the meaning of the rearming of the infrastructure facilities for example in building the powerful sewage plant besides the river Emscher etc. to give the whole region a new corporate design.

CONCLUSION

An international organisation as FIG seems to be in best condition to organize a share holder value process in knowledge for it's member assossiations in a multidiscipline way. If we look to the terms of reference of the different commissions we find all the subjects and necessities to exchange knowledge about best practice.

FIG and it's membership is asked to discuss the report of the commission 8 in a much more detailed timescale during the Congress in Washington where the commission will handout a printed report.


CONTACT

Helmut Brackmann
Technischer Beigeordneter der Stadt Bottrop
Görkenstrasse 8
D-46242 Bottrop
GERMANY
Tel. + 49 2041 703 212
Fax + 49 2041 703 108
E-mail: helmut.brackmann@bottrop.de 

21 April 2001


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