Nature has undeniably returned to the area. Springtime bird songs provided the soundtrack to my park experience. I glimpsed rabbits hopping and ducks splashing in the wetland areas that formed in structures and tanks left to collect water.
Wetlands
The park provides many activities: hiking, biking, diving, climbing, playgrounds,tours and entertainment.
Climbing Wall
The park is a lovely juxtaposition of wild growth, maintained buildings, decaying structures, landscaped gardens, fields and a large area called the Wilderness—a restricted area where people are verboten.
The park reminded me of the unintentional transition that is already happening in some of the vacant industrial areas in Cleveland. One could perceive vacant factories with busted windows, climbing vines and trees erupting from its parking lots as blight. However, Duisburg Nord Landschaft Park demonstrates that redeveloping industry can be both a passive and positive change.
So, what is the potential for Cleveland's Industrial Valley, the vacant buildings along the RTA's Red Line Rapid? Can we ditch the golf course aesthetic for our green spaces and allow nature and industry to coexist as a recreational space? I think we could with a lot of foresight, patience and a small amount of human intervention.
More photos of Landschaft Park on my Flickr page.
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1 comment:
Great pics. I enjoyed your summary of the Landschaftspark - I've spent manhy hours their myself and can't quite explain the atmosphere. Comparing it to present day Cleveland and long forgotten industrial sites is excellent.
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