Freedom Emscher - urban transformation in the Ruhr region
Creating a productive and climate-friendly urban space in the north of Essen and south of Bottrop - that is the vision of Freiheit Emscher. The JTF-funded urban development project is pursuing an approach that reconciles economic strength and ecological sustainability.
Five areas, two cities, one joint project
Freiheit Emscher is one of the largest urban development projects in NRW. Over an area of around 17 square kilometers, the brownfield sites of five former mining locations are being transformed into modern commercial and innovation areas. The aim is to create an urban space that secures jobs, attracts new forward-looking industries and at the same time meets ecological standards. The two cities of Bottrop and Essen are working together on an inter-municipal basis to realize this comprehensive project. A milestone on this path was the founding of Freiheit Emscher Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (FEEG) by the three shareholders Bottrop, Essen and RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH (RAG MI) in 2023.
Rethinking green corridors and mobility
In the current funding phase, FEEG is coordinating the use of JTF funds to develop Emil Emscher and Welheimer Mark - the first two of five development sites - and make them ready for construction. The project benefits from RAG MI's expertise in the revitalization of large industrial sites in order to redevelop the areas released from mining supervision.
A five-kilometre-long commercial boulevard planned as an avenue will connect the sub-areas in Essen and Bottrop in future. Wide cycle paths and footpaths, green strips and rainwater collection areas will make it a climate-adapted axis for sustainable mobility. In the Emil Emscher area in Essen, compensation areas are also being created for protected species such as the natterjack toad - an example of how economic development and nature conservation can work together.
On the Bottrop side, Freiheit Emscher is developing the brownfield site in Welheimer Mark into a location for research institutions and knowledge-based companies. The Emschergenossenschaft, another partner in the alliance, is renaturalizing the Aspelflötte, which has been heavily shaped by industrial use. The green corridor created in this way will ensure drainage into the Emscher system and offer new opportunities for near-natural leisure activities with a cycle and hiking trail.
From mining site to productive city of the future
Freiheit Emscher is becoming a location for research and knowledge-based companies that are driving forward the ecological, climate-friendly, resource- and space-efficient transformation of the economy in North Rhine-Westphalia. This is an exemplary demonstration of how brownfield sites can be transformed into attractive, resilient urban spaces - an urban transformation that not only creates jobs but also focuses on sustainable growth, with benefits for the economy, environment and quality of life.
