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.
