Duisburg Nord Landschaftpark

Duisburg Nord Landschaftpark

Duisburg Nord Landschaftpark was once a 200 hectacre industrial wasteland. Over the past ten years, the area has been transformed into a park. It was not a forced greening of a post-industrial space, but a graceful transition that combined fecund growth, decomposition and re purposing of structures.

Nature has undeniably returned to the area. Springtime bird songs provided the soundtrack to my park experience. I glimpsed rabbits hopping and saw ducks splashing in the wetland areas that formed in structures and tanks left to collect water.

Wetlands

The park provides many activities: hiking, biking, diving, climbing, playgrounds, tours and entertainment.

Climbing Wall

The park combines wild growth, maintained buildings, decaying structures, landscaped gardens, fields and a large area called the Wilderness—a restricted area where people are verboten.

Wilderness Area

The park reminded me of the unintentional transition that is already happening in some of the vacant industrial areas in Cleveland. One could perceive vacant factories with busted windows, climbing vines and trees erupting from its parking lots as blight. However, Duisburg Nord Landschaftpark demonstrates that redeveloping industry can be both a passive and positive change.

So, what is the potential for Cleveland's Industrial Valley, the vacant buildings along the RTA's Red Line Rapid? Can we ditch the golf course aesthetic for our green spaces and allow nature and industry to coexist as a recreational space? I think we could with a lot of foresight, patience and a small amount of human intervention.