Introduction
This analysis focuses on the region Ruhrgebiet, especially Dortmund, in Germany. The coal and steel industry was Dortmund’s major income generator and the manufacturing industry served as important employer. Over the last 40 years, manufacturing lost its value and many people got unemployed. Dortmund, as flagship in the Ruhrgebiet, suffered from the structural change. It had to cope for many decades with the image of a dirty town without perspective. The main problem was that many of the unemployed people had worked for many decades in the manufacturing and mining firms. Their health conditions were often very bad and their educational level was low which led to the challenge to integrate these citizens into other jobs. Dortmund enforced re-education and invested huge amounts of money in universities and colleges. A well-educated young workforce was meant to add welfare to all citizens. The whole area followed this concept. Recently Dortmund was able to attract new firms from service and new-technology sectors. It became the role model for structural change, especially in micro technology, IT-services, and insurance services.
The major idea behind this paper is to analyse Dortmund’s development and the way out of the vicious circle. An area without perspective will loose its young workforce and therefore its future. Firms will invest in other cities and unemployment will increase. This paper will relate spatial similarities between the German Ruhrgebiet and the USA in general. I will also present a brief discussion about Buffalo and its economic development. The focus is on governmental influence, educational influence, and geographical influence on the situation both cities faced. Are the cities comparable? What did Dortmund better then Buffalo? Is there still hope, or is it better for college graduates to leave Buffalo.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Situation Analysis
- Brief situation analysis of North-Rhine Westphalia and the Ruhr area
- Development of Dortmund
- Brief description of Buffalo's development
- Comparison Germany vs. USA and Dortmund with Buffalo
- The influence of governmental policy with focus on education
- Is the re-development applicable to other regions?
- Outlook on changes in Dortmund
- Evaluation
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the economic development of Dortmund, Germany, and its success in overcoming the challenges of industrial decline. It seeks to compare Dortmund's path with that of Buffalo, USA, focusing on the role of government, education, and geography in their respective situations. The paper explores the applicability of Dortmund's model to other regions facing similar challenges.
- Economic transformation from industrial decline to service-based economy
- The role of government in supporting economic development
- The importance of education in attracting investment and fostering growth
- The impact of geographic location and infrastructure on regional development
- The comparative analysis of Dortmund and Buffalo's development paths
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the context of Dortmund's economic decline due to the decline of its coal and steel industry and the challenges of unemployment and a poorly-educated workforce. It outlines the paper's focus on analyzing Dortmund's successful transformation and comparing it with Buffalo, USA.
- Situation Analysis: This chapter analyzes the economic situation in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Ruhr area, emphasizing the historical development of the region and its traditional industries. It discusses the specific challenges Dortmund faced due to the decline of manufacturing and the need for diversification.
- Comparison Germany vs. USA and Dortmund with Buffalo: This chapter compares the German and American contexts for economic development, focusing on the influence of governmental policy, education, and geography. It specifically examines the similarities and differences between Dortmund and Buffalo, highlighting the key factors contributing to their respective trajectories.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the key topics of industrial decline, economic transformation, regional development, governmental policy, education, and geographical influence. It examines the cases of Dortmund and Buffalo, highlighting the comparative analysis of their development paths and the potential applicability of Dortmund's model to other regions facing similar challenges.
- Quote paper
- Torsten Breiding (Author), 2004, Sisters from the same mother and different fathers? A geographic and economic analysis of two cities with equal premises but different development, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/42245
