Friday, December 24, 2010

Suburbanisation and urban sprawl in Leipzig (Germany)

Henning Nuissl / Dieter Rink
(URBS PANDENS Case Study)
(August 2002)

The urban region of Leipzig has seen a period of heavy suburban development between 1990 and 2000 making it a prominent example for problems of urban development in Germany that are related to an increase of land use. These processes can be referred to as suburbanisation or urban sprawl. Whilst the first concept usually refers to the spatial expansion of the industrialised city by the development of new (mono-functional) residential areas for the middle class, the latter indicates a more comprehensive approach to the understanding of the dynamics of urban development and growth as well as the related environmental problems. Though according to the present state of academic discussion the term urban sprawl seems to be appropriate when it comes to a conceptualisation of current urban development processes, recent developments on the fringes of the city of Leipzig, however, do in some respect correspond to the ‘classical’ phenomenon of suburbanisation. Thus, it should be reasonable to use both concepts in the following portrayal of urban expansion in the Leipzig region.

image by oliverlindner
image by TinoZH

more posts about the German cities:

Heidelberg and its first Roman constructions

German geographical urban morphology in an international and interdisciplinary framework

500 Kilometers of Bicycle Routes in Cicycling Capital of Germany

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