Daily urban systems Rhein-Ruhr

Portfolio Categories: Case Studies.



Rhein-Ruhr Express (RRX) on the first phase of the new network (source: www.rrx.de)

Practice

The case study for the Rhein Ruhr area is directly related to the Rotterdam – Rhein / Ruhr corridor case. Within the Rhein Ruhr area, opposed developments are taking place. On the one hand, there is a strong pressure on existing urban areas, especially in some cities along the Rhine. Other cities however have to cope with a foreseen shrinkage of their population. A report by the Landtag Nordrhein Westfalen (2013) concludes that until 2030 there will be a need of 700.000 new dwellings. At the same time, 600.000 existing dwellings will not meet the requirements of the market and therefor presumably will be left empty. Both developments put the livability of existing urban areas under pressure, albeit with different consequences.

In the field of infrastructure, a mixture of investments is foreseen. On the international level, the ICE tracks Cologne – Brussels and Cologne – Arnhem will be improved, as well as the freightline between Oberhausen and the Dutch border. On a regional level some highways will be broadened (A4, A40, A43, A45, A59) but especially the maintenance of existing highways and bridges is an important issue. The Rhein-Ruhr Express will be constructed in order to improve the public transport system between the major cities along the Rhine and the Ruhr.

Issues

The developments in the field of infrastructure and housing result in a series of challenges:
Corridor level:        
         
     
         
Increasing growth of freight traffic on highways and railways (networks);   Value capturing of the flows of goods and people between Rotterdam / Antwerp and Eastern / Southern Europe (value)    
         
Regional / DUS level:        
         
   
         
Infrastructure and housing planning: isolated approaches (space);   Housing: geographic tension. Growth in the Rhein-Sieg zone; shrinkage in the Ruhr area (space);   Culture of collaboration between municipalities: challenge (institutional)
         
Local level:        
         
   
         
Competing interests in space: housing, infrastructure and environment (space)   Optimizing spatial developments around multimodal nodes (network)   Restructuring of urban areas (space)
         
       
         
        Strong dependency on private parties for spatial development (institutional)
Regional Development Agenda of the Rotterdam – Rhein/Ruhr corridor (source: MUST urbanism)

NUVIT themes

The prologue study could focus on different ways to improve the liveability of urban areas, both in areas where a growth of the population is foreseen as well as where a diminution of the population will take place:
  1. Optimization of land use around regional, multimodal nodes, for example around the RRX stations;
  2. Getting the highest value out of the existing multimodal network by a strategic planning of land use and infrastructure;
  3. Realization of new type of infrastructures in pilot projects, for example the high speed bicycle lanes;
  4. Mediators as a new tool to coordinate and stimulate regional collaboration.

Stakeholders

  • Land NRW
  • Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR)
  • Regionalverband Ruhr
  • Regierungsbezirk Köln
  • Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf
  • Different communities
  • DB Station&Service AG
  • DB Netz AG
  • DB Immobilien
  • Regional transport authorities
  • Private developers