can you see the elephant in the room?
Climate change is unmistakably here and forces us to reinvent our cities. It is obvious that we cannot continue to build our coexistence on the same principles as we have over the past decades. The problem is clear, the challenge of completely rethinking our cities is huge. Everyone knows that something has to change now, but where to start?
we can only do it together
Designing a city that we like to live in and that really functions well is anything but easy. There is no way anyone can solve this on their own. As a lone fighter you are bound to just get frustrated and fail. Our call for action goes out to all planners, activists, landscape architects, urban gardeners, politicians, artists, and tech-enthusiasts – to students and young professionals as well as to experienced doers and academics. Whether you are involved in your neighbourhood or at the United Nations: “Motivated people of all disciplines, unite!“
we know you’re out there
Have you been working on a problem for a while? Or have you already thought up and tried out solutions? Join the Biennial of Urban Landscape and let’s see if we can turn something good into something even better together. Really good solutions elegantly solve several problems at once and later make you wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that sooner?“ Now is our opportunity to work together and explore the possibilities that our cities offer.
get active now
How can you get involved? It’s easy: come to Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf and become an active part of the Biennale. Get involved in discussions and debates on site – and enrich our common cause with your perspective. In workshops you can become active yourself and help shape the sustainable and liveable city of tomorrow. The Biennale of the Urban Landscape is interactive and participatory – so come along and get involved!
join us in the heart of the ruhr metropolis
The Science Park in Gelsenkirchen Ückendorf is a conference centre surrounded by a landscaped park. What’s so special about it? Well, for one thing it’s a cradle of urban transformation. It’s only a stone’s throw away from the place where the Emscher Park project by the International Building Exhibition had its headquarters 30 years ago. A project that greatly influenced what the Ruhr area looks like today. Nowadays it serves the team of Baukultur North-Rhine Westphalia – still driving urban transformation. Another 70 years before the International Building Exhibition, many of the Ruhr’s collieries were managed from here. What better place to explore the green future with you? Around our Biennial centre you can experience a variety of urban landscape forms of the Ruhr region in just a few minutes’ walk. It’s a place that impressively makes tangible the pivotal role the Ruhr once had as a world leader in the conversion of disused industrial sites. For the next transformation towards a green urban landscape, the Ruhr should be up there at the forefront again – wouldn’t you agree?
You can find all locations on our map in the web app.
three weekends and two production weeks
The programme of the Biennial will consist of over 100 smaller and larger activities. From August onwards, you will be able to view the full range of actions in a web app. Our programme will go through different phases during the two weeks. At the beginning, we will look at specific, concrete items – and here things will get very diverse and colourful. In the next phase we plan to look at framework conditions, at structures and at all aspects in which these concrete items have to take effect and function – within the analogue and the digital, locally within the region as well as within a global context. Finally, we will look at conclusions from a perspective not only of the next, but rather of several future generations of people who will live in our cities.
- 10 & 11 September: Diversity Weekend
There will be lots of workshops, lectures, presentations, panel discussions, and excursions themed on green infrastructure. Meet the people who are actively working on the green future of the Ruhr region. - 12 – 16 September: Building Week
Let’s design the biennial centre in the Science Park Gelsenkirchen together by building, sawing, and gardening as a community. Contemporaneously, our “hackers in residence” will prepare for the following weekend. - 16 & 17 September: Digital Realities Weekend
How can virtual and augmented reality, big data and AI help us design sustainable cities? We will discuss this with experts and marvel at the results of the week-long Hackathon Residency. - 18 September: Excursion Day
Expedition to the Ruhr! With our cooperation partner Baukultur NRW and with Urbane Künste Ruhr we will start a journey of discovery through the region on different paths and meet for a joint debate with cake at the end. - 19 – 23 September: Campus Week
It‘s the up-and-coming generation’s time to shine. Students from different universities gather on-site to work on how cities can productively contribute to an ecosystem. - 24 & 24 September: Convention “design for urban uncertainties”
Talk to urban pioneers, planners and designers about visions for the Ruhr Metropolis. We are setting the course right now for how future generations will live in the Ruhr region. - 24 September: Closing event with green picnic
After the work is done, what could be better than celebrating and enjoying the results? - And lots more
During the two weeks, the Biennial centre in the Science Park will be open, there will be a magazine, excursions and a photo exhibition …
The Biennale programme is made up of over 100 small and large programme items. From now on, you can take a look at all the offers in a web app.
we are many
We haven‘t introduced ourselves yet. We are Melanie and Sebastian. But we never work alone. So far, we have realised projects together with Isabella, Annette, Jan, Sonja, Matthias, Juliane, Sally, Roman, Stephanie, Petra, Martina, and Nadja. And for the Biennial, many more people will be joining us. For example Margrit, Johannes and Laura. You can find out more about us here: our team
We have been able to get the following organisations on board as official partners for the first Biennial of urban Landscape:
Cooperation partner:
Sponsors:
Partners:
Many other people, companies and institutions are ready to participate, among them:, ARUP, Federal Foundation for Baukultur, Business Metropole Ruhr, ℅ raum für kooperation, Citymakers Europe-China, Cityscaper Aachen, the Royal Danish Embassy, die Urbanisten, Drees&Sommer, Emschergenossenschaft, Futur2k, Urban Transformation Network Essen, ICLEI Europe, IGA2027, Impact Factory, Jugend-Architektur-Stadt, kitev – Culture in the Tower, Düsseldorf Art Academy, LAND Research-Lab, MULNV – Ministry for Environment, Agriculture, Nature and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia, MVRDV – Architects, NSP – National Urban Development Policies, Paper Planes, Pixelprojekt_Ruhrgebiet, Places _ VR Festival, Ruhr University Bochum, Ruhr-Conference, RWTH Aachen University, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ostwestfalen-Lippe, TU Dortmund University, Urbane Liga, …
Fotos: lala.ruhr | Medienmalocher Ravi Sejk