Rural republics and urban cluster cities

Scenario City Type. Stefan Rettich and Kai Dolata

The boundaries of Saxony-Anhalt reflect recent political definitions. These demarcations have cut off some regional areas along the borders of Saxony-Anhalt, for instance Harz or Braunschweig, from their historic provinces. If these political boundaries were ignored or drawn up anew, the future of small and medium-sized cities in Saxony-Anhalt might lie in establishing an intensive network between the cities and the surrounding landscapes.

This would then create a federation of urban cluster cities and “rural republics”, which would shape new, specific and groundbreaking spatial models through regional added-value chains. The state’s boundaries would dissolve in the long term, generating new, functional fusions. The Harz region provides an example. The central landscape would give the region – Lower Saxony and Thuringia especially – a strong joint identity: the “Republic of Harz”. The area has 800,000 inhabitants, which would make it one of the most densely populated areas in Central Germany. One inter-regional network offers huge economic potential in the fields of recreation, health, culture and renewable energies.

republik_szenario_bild1.jpg

One inter-regional network offers huge economic potential in the fields of recreation, health, culture and renewable energies.