LEIPZIG GERMANY CASE STUDY

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Post-World War II, Leipzig, Germany became part of East Germany and an industrial city for the Soviet Union. Meaning Factories and Railroad yards were spread over the city. In 1990 after the fall of the Soviet Union, Leipzig was Unified with Germany. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union came the fall of Leipzig, industrial business. Leading to large brown fields, (Large empty dead areas polluted with oil and other carcinogens from old industry plants being demolished) were created. Over the next 10 or so years, the City was a mess, building were becoming dilapidated, the population dropped dramatically, from its unification into Germany in 1990- 520,484 to the lowest point on record for the city at 481,000 in 1995. (it was dropping before 1990 at a steep slope) (World Population Review, UN World Urbanization Prospects.)

Early 2000s to combat the slipping of population and a plan to rid of the Brownfields, the city decided to turn this ugly abandon lots into parks and green spaces, same with demolishing abandoned lots and buildings to create parks, withing the city. Over the years the city has become one of the Greenest cities in Germany resulting in the population to rapidly increase to its current population of 591,000 and is projected to be 609,135 by 2025. This has returned the City of Leipzig back to its rich past before WWII. However, now with an increase of population has put emence pressure on the current parks and green spaces being overused and destroyed, and the pressure of what is left of the current Brown fields and military fields be used for housing instead of landscaping.

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