IGA 2027 - ON THE WAY TO BECOMING THE GREENEST INDUSTRIAL REGION

Nina Frense: The mere fact that we are showing this exhibition with its new parks and gardens on around 300 hectares of former industrial land is spectacular. This will create a number of new garden oases in urban areas in the Ruhr region. Here, families can relax in nature in increasingly warmer times. Three examples from the gardens of the future: In Dortmund Huckarde, a completely new park will be created on the site of the Hansa coking plant, which will open up the previously unused area for local recreation. With opportunities for sport and play, a cloud sculpture in which children can climb. And with the Haldensprung, a new bridge on the Deusenberg, which will better connect the districts of Huckarde and Deusen for pedestrians and cyclists, thus fulfilling a long-held wish of local residents.

The coal bunker in Gelsenkirchen's Nordsternpark will be redesigned in the best industrial heritage tradition as a “Greentower” as a cultural venue with restaurants and vertically landscaped. The completely redesigned turning basin will create a brand new recreational area on the waterfront. And in Duisburg, the city is opening up even further to the Rhine.  With the old industrial port - the so-called Kultushafen - in the Rheinpark, which will be redesigned by the IGA 2027, Duisburg will also have its “beach pearl”. With your feet half in the river and an after-work beer in your hand, this will be a really cool spot for the entire Ruhr region.

Nina Frense: The Gruga in Essen, the Maxipark in Hamm, the Westfalenpark in Dortmund and the Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen are all sustainable results of national garden shows. But in addition to the “great flowering rush” - the showcase of the green sector - and the large and varied range of events during the exhibition, garden shows have proven to be very good instruments for promoting sustainable open space, urban and regional development, providing impetus for the economy, especially for tourism, and strengthening local identity.

Die IGA 2027 wird das Ruhrgebiet weiter zusammenwachsen lassen: Die Kommunen durch die Zusammenarbeit für die unterschiedlichsten Projekte, aber vor allem auch die Menschen. Denn mit dem Format „Mein Garten" werden wir die vielen privaten grünen Initiativen der Region sichtbar machen, sie vernetzen, damit sie sich austauschen und voneinander lernen können, aber auch Anregung und Ansporn sind für andere. So wird die IGA 2027 ein weiterer großer Schritt auf dem Weg zur grünsten Industrieregion. Und sie wird das Image des Ruhrgebietes weiter wandeln.

Nina Frense: Construction work for the investment projects has begun on some of the municipal projects and in the Future Gardens. Ideally, they will be completed in the Future Gardens next year so that planting can begin in 2026 at the latest.

The exhibitions in the Future Gardens with their horticultural content, the conception of around 6,000 events in both the small arts and high culture sectors and everything to do with environmental education are currently being finalized. In the field of sustainability, we work together with the universities in the Ruhr region. We have already received so much encouragement from the public that we have decided to host a digital platform at the beginning of next year, which will enable us to organize participation even better for everyone.  

Nina Frense: The IGA will not only be a huge garden festival in an entire metropolitan region that attracts millions of visitors, but above all it will show how we deal with our industrial heritage here in the Ruhr region and how we create added value from it. We are showing what our future can look like on old industrial sites that were previously inaccessible to the public: cooling greenery, a better quality of life in central urban areas, biodiversity in the middle of the city, connecting cycle routes from one garden to the next and all of this in a prosperous region that still has a lot to do, but where there is also still a lot to shape. Our IGA 2027 is therefore also a laboratory for 2027 and beyond. And everyone is invited to join in the research!

Nina Frense: The IGA 2027 is currently one of the largest projects in Europe and will have an impact on the immediate living environment of many people. By creating “new locations”, entire districts are being upgraded, which is of course also interesting for private investors. Like in Duisburg, where a completely new district is being created right next to the Rheinpark. In cooperation with our partners - such as the housing industry - we will also be showcasing other exciting projects with a focus on sustainability. Examples include the “100 residential gardens” and the topic of building with wood, which we are developing with the Rhineland-Westphalia Housing and Real Estate Association for the IGA 2027.

Nina Frense: Together with the IGA 2027 team, its partners and the IGA municipalities, we will show a beautiful Ruhr region on the day of the opening, a Ruhr region that perhaps not everyone would have expected! That's what I'm looking forward to the most.