Document: Perspectivic Incrementalism - Regional Development, IBA style

An alternative approach has been pursued in the northern part of the Ruhr Area in Germany. The IBA Emscher Park was based on a concept which its champions called "Perspectivic Incrementalism": It had a clear perspective, a "vision". But the paths to get towards this vision were not defined in any detail at the beginning. Rather, an incremental, experimentation- and learning-based process was initiated. IBA stands for International Building Exposition, a traditional approach to innovative urban development which was interpreted in a very innovative way: It was not just urban but actually regional development, and it was not just about buildings but also about redeveloping brownfield sites, developing industrial heritage sites, cleaning up highly polluted rivers and contaminated estate, and improving the environmental quality and the quality of life. Emscher Park stands for the overall objective of the program: to convert the region along the Emscher river into a park-like urban landscape.