International field school in Rhine-Ruhr region

Associate professor Meg Holden spent part of her summer (June 18 - July 2) leading an international field school trip focused on urban resilience planning in the Rhine-Ruhr metro region (Ruhrgebiet) of Germany. Participants, who were were enrolled in GEOG 497 and URB 694, were based in Dortmund, but also visited Essen, Cologne and Duisberg during the trip, including stops at agencies that deal with resilience issues, such as the Cologne Flood Protection Agency and Emschergenossenschaft, Germany's oldest and largest public water board. In addition to the smell of an open sewer-in-transition, the most memorable part of the trip for the group will likely be the idea of "Industriekultur" which is held so dear in the Ruhrgebiet. You can read more about the trip and what students learned on their blog.