The Emscher as a Point of Attraction
The renaturation of the Emscher is progressing, and with it, the opportunities to transform its riverbanks into tangible spaces for people to experience are growing. In the eastern Ruhr area, DTP has succeeded to do this. They designed the Emscher-Promenade. This area along the water runs from Castrop-Rauxel via Recklinghausen and Herne to Herten. It not only connects cities but has also turned the Emscher into an attractive part of neighborhoods, cities, and the whole region.
More than a Riverside Path
The redesigned Emscher-Promenade is more than a cycling route and footpath along the water. While the old service road forms its backbone, it is the enhancement of the riverbanks and the design of unique places that make it an attractive destination, a highlight. It includes 25 designed areas, each of which addresses local topics, connects spaces and strengthens the link between the river and the local neighbourhoods. With new bridges and underpasses, the continuity along the river is also increasing. The connection to public transportation makes the Emscher-Promenade an important part of the region’s blue-green infrastructure.
Overall, the Emscher-Promenade extends over three different sections:
The first section lies in the west and runs from Herten to Recklinghausen. Heterogeneous urban structures flank this area, ranging from woodland like spaces to commercial and residential developments. In this setting, the newly redesigned “Schellenbruchterrassen” mark the western start of the Emscher-Promenade. A grove of native trees and a seating area greet visitors coming from the east. At the entrance to the Bochumer Strasse, a pair of so-called “listening stations” await. These blue-painted, funnel-shaped objects take up the theme of water and its sounds, and encourage people to perceive nature more closely.
The middle section of the Emscher-Promenade stretches from Recklinghausen to Castrop-Rauxel. Settlement structures interwoven with greenery dominate this area, that merges into the New Emscher Valley. The past is evoked by the blue “Emscherbruch Dickköppe”. These horse sculptures are a reminder of the wild horses that once roamed there. Another place for a break is the „Emscher-Steg“, which shines blue at its end. It extends from the path far over the embankment towards the water and allows a view of the renaturalised water, but also far along the bends of the river.
In the third section in Castrop-Rauxel, one of the stations, the water experience site “Herdicksfälle” invites visitors to pause and take a break. It serves as an educational space, teaching about water and nature — a kind of blue classroom. You can learn directly by and above the water on blocks of seats arranged in a semicircle. A more playful experience awaits along the “water snake”. This blue snake sculpture stretches across the meadow and invites visitors to play and balance.
Individual and Modular
Despite their individual designs and thematic focuses, all the redesigned spaces are connected. A kind of modular system contributes to this: like a blue thread, it runs along the promenade, shaping objects and street prints along the path. Bands of perennial flowering and insect-friendly plants also have a connecting character.
Rethinking the Region
Where sewage once dominated, where the stinky backside was, today a natural space attracts people with numerous opportunities to exercise and to meet up, to play and learn. For a long time, the river was an open sewer—but today, it is an attractive destination. The Emscher-Promenade makes this accessible and tangible. It is therefore making a significant contribution to rethinking the region. It demonstrates that the Emscher has the potential to be the namesake of the large landscape park and hopefully, its promenade will grow and connect many other places— it would be great if it could achieve this by the time of the IGA 2027.
Landscape Architecture: DTP
Client: Emschergenossenschaft
Planning and realisation: Planungsbüro DTP Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH
Photos: Nikolai Benner
Link: https://dtp-essen.de/projekte/emscherpromenade
