The 14 housing models from Germany's largest conurbation, presented in great detail in Atlas Ruhrgebiet, are as diverse as the people who live there. The projects range from the workers' housing estates of the 18th and early 19th centuries, such as Margarethenhöhe in Essen, to the experimental housing estates of the 1970s, such as the 'Neue Stadt Wulfen.' The conceptual boldness and consistency of many of the designs seem fascinating from today's perspective, against the backdrop of increasingly cost-optimised construction and growing ecological demands.

Graphically impressive, in some cases three-dimensional, line drawings, analyses of urban planning and architectural parameters, and concise project descriptions convey the properties in an understandable way and allow them to be compared with one another. Richly illustrated with photographs by the Dortmund-based architectural photographer Detlef Podehl, the book documents the current condition and atmospheric impact of the estates. Five essays by renowned architects and art historians shed light on the building periods presented.

Taken as a whole, the book is not only a collection of buildings of architectural and cultural value in the metropolitan region that can be understood by the interested layman, but also a forward-looking tool: What conclusions can we draw from the urban models presented for contemporary and future housing? What relevance do the findings have for today's clients, urban planners and architects?

A publication by Moritz Henkel from the Department of Urban Design at the TU Dortmund University (Supervisors: Anna Jessen and Ingemar Vollenweider).