Karl Ganser (1937–2022) decisively shaped the urban and regional development of North Rhine-Westphalia with his vision of an industrial cultural landscape and his thoughtful approach to urban renewal. As a kind of father of the new Ruhr area (according to former German President Johannes Rau in 1999), Ganser paved the way for numerous projects – especially as part of the Emscher Park international building exhibition – that continue to define the region and public perception of the Ruhr area to this day.

This book examines and showcases the work of Karl Ganser. Well-known contemporaries provide insights into his professional career which included spells at the Technical University of Munich and at the city’s department of urban planning, at the federal research institute for regional studies and planning in Bonn, at the ministry for regional and urban development (MLS/MSWV) in Düsseldorf and at the international building exhibition in Gelsenkirchen. An additional selection of Ganser’s writings allows readers to discover his truly inter- and transdisciplinary way of thinking and acting as regards ecology, urban and regional planning, art, and culture. In this publication, a total of 42 authors from various disciplines explore Ganser’s many ideas for sustainable urban and regional development as well as his lifelong commitment to the protection of nature and historical monuments.

Incluvding text by: Heiner Monheim, Roland Günter, Rolf Derenbach, Thomas Sieverts, Hubert Weiger, Anna Kloke, Götz von Rohr, Claus Wiegandt, Walter Siebel, Helmut Holzapfel, Rolf Kreibich, Jörg Dettmar, Udo Mainzer, Wolfgang Roters, Christoph Zöpel, Gerhard Seltmann, Axel Föhl, Ullrich Sierau, Burkhard Drescher, Frank Dudda, Joachim Henneke, Karl-Friedrich Ostholt, Uli Paetzel, Bernd Tischler, Michael von der Mühlen, Marion Taube, Ulrich Borsdorf, Kunibert Wachten, Franz Pesch, Andreas Rossmann, Martina Oldengott, Timo Hauge, Britta Peters, Ursula Mehrfeld, Marita Pfeiffer, Peter Landmann, Oliver Scheytt, Karl Jasper, Uta Schneider, Ulrike Rose, Rolf Höhmann, Rolf Kuhn