The opencast mine Garzweiler migrates within the region of Cologne / Mönchengladbach / Dusseldorf within decades. Highways are relocated, areas demolished, almost 8,000 people resettled. An abandoned area with no history is left behind. "New Energy" is a landscape in motion and consciously focuses on a development process starting now. The advancing open-cast mining is no longer intended to monofunctionally determine the space, but instead, through spatially and temporally projects, the landscape will develop in an attractive way in every phase.

"Capturing the hole" is the first development phase: this is not only about the development of the mining area and its staging as a fascination but also by a change of image of the region. In addition, a green-blue infrastructure is being developed, which, as the largest park in Europe, surrounds the opencast mining area. A cable car "overflows" the hole, makes it experienceable and re-connects suspended villages. After the end of the brown coal mining, large areas are free for settlement, landscape and commercial development: a space that will be characterized by an exciting topography with novel open-space structures.

Yueyang is a growing city in the Chinese province of Hunan. In cooperation with hydrology, water management, and water ecology experts as well as landscape architects, we developed a masterplan with the aim of a new adjustment of urban and open space development in the course of water quality improvement.

The masterplan analyses the spatial and programmatic potentials of the Nanhu (lake) and the surrounding build-up and open space structures and develops them as a blue-green infrastructure. That improves the city's interconnectedness and the accessibility of green spaces. A catalogue of sponge city strategies proposes transferable concepts for a structure related integration of sponge city principles. The blue-green-black masterplan merges the strategies and delivers design approaches for different types of waterfronts and city profiles.

Zhuhai is growing. The challenge now is to make this growth consistent with landscape and waters against the backdrop of climate change. The aim is to minimize the intrusion in nature due to ecological and economical reasons and by doing that to create a high quality of living in the city.

The sponge city principle provides a convenient strategy for this purpose. Diverse water systems for the regulation of tides, flooding rives and heavy rains are not only integrated into the city structure but also utilized to provide various leisure and recreation facilities. In Combination with the local landscape and water characteristics, the sponge city principles shape a unique cityscape. In order to do that the project develops a city typology and various waterfront strategies which are transferable and versatile tools for future urban planning.

The project is located on the western outskirts of Tirana, an area which has seen major development in recent years due to its prime location close to the main entrance corridor to Albania's capital. With a total of approx. 400.000 m2 built floor area the new district will house approximately 7.000 inhabitants. It stretches between two large parks, whose conceptual design also formed part of the competition brief. Runway Park is a 1,1 km long former landing strip and Lana Park is an extension of the city's main green axis. The design proposes an urban layout that forms a hinge between these two parks, making them accessible, as well as connecting them, whilst strengthening the distinctively different character of both. The urban structure reflects a combination of three typologies: 4 storey stripes, 12 storey towers and 8 storey 'urban rocks'. The aim is to offer a broad variation of lifestyles, as opposed to the prevalent development paradigm of 9 storey broken perimeter blocks in Tirana.

The project is based on three aspects: 1. future megatrends, 2. strengthening a sustainable society via social equality, healthy environment, and qualitative economic growth, 3. participation along with reflective, visionary guidance as the basis for effective and flexible developments. High-velocity train and ferry connections will enhance the position of the Øresund Region as an interface between Central, Northern and Baltic Europe.

The development concept for the Øresund Region itself combines two main structures: the Metrosund, an association of nine cities encircling the Sund, and the Ørezones, nine sub-regional areas. Each Metrosund-City and Ørezone is given a unique profile based on existing characteristics and demands of the aforementioned megatrends, generating regional identity and global competence. Within the hinterland networks of SMESTOs (Small and MEdium sized TOwns) give a flavour of the local qualities. One key agency will guide the development process: Øresund Visionary Guidance, a multidisciplinary, independent, cross-border task force working closely with the people of the Øresund Region.

'Holistic Uniqueness' proposes a future vision and a robust
development framework for Greater Helsinki, Finland. The
region is globally positioned as the interface between the EU and
Russia. A high-velocity train network links Helsinki to the Baltic
centres, Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg, establishing a
transnational connection.

The Greater Helsinki Region itself is defined as a configuration of eight core areas, each characterised
by a unique programmatic and spatial profile. Based on
the incorporation of global future developments (like energy
shortage, demographic change etc.) and existing local potentials,
the profiles act as concepts for sustainable development -
ensuring global competence and creating local identity at the
same time. A specific urban form and structure are proposed for
each area, strengthening the programmatic profile and creating
diverse relations between urban and green spaces. Within
this metropolitan configuration, each area will offer something
unique. Therefore they are linked not only by a sophisticated
transport system but more importantly by complementation of
each other.

What does sustainable urban development with a special focus on the sponge city principle in China look like?

The flagship project Sponge City Hefei relies entirely on decentralized drainage, which should lead to an answer to the flood problem and the extreme weather events that will become increasingly stronger in the future. Our focus was on the planned parks as central and profiling elements of the city, which will become the "green living room" of future residents.

With low-threshold and barrier-free access, the offers of the residential neighbourhoods are supplemented here and the informal meeting, which is so far untypical for China, is promoted. This is achieved through the targeted use of, for example, generous seat edges, freely movable furniture, and picnic areas.

With the aim of creating a metropolis with a low climatic footprint and a small impact on local ecosystems, four large parks with large unsealed areas are being created. The special sponge city principle provides for working with instead of against the water and implementing it as a characteristic element of Hefei. This helps the green-blue city to regulate the climate - especially in the very hot summer months. In addition to the climatic advantages mentioned, our argumentation of integrating the local river, which was originally supposed to be led around the city, creates a number of added values for Hefei.

The four emerging parks will each have their own characteristics, depending on the respective demarcation area. For example, the ground in the west with many adjoining office buildings serves primarily as a place to relax during work breaks on the one hand and as an extended conference room with options for flexible work on the other.

The project, besides providing spatial qualities and creating urban spaces that promote
social interaction in cultural life aims to serve as an innovative hydrological system to protect the city in the event of more extreme weather occurrences and to ensure sustainable urban development.

As a result of all the interlocking concepts, Hefei forms a richly linked city with different biotopes and parks that work together with the social infrastructure and create a high-quality living space for the new China.

Take a look at how we continued by planning the first park here.

New Energie. Opencast mining landscape Garzweiler

Yueyang. Better water - better city

Zhuhai Floating City

Park City

Øresund Region 2040

Greater Helsinki Vision. Eight profiles, one unity

Sponge City Hefei