%A"Froriep, S" %D1972 %I; Siedlungsverband Ruhrkohlenbezirk, Essen, West Germany %2 %J[] %K54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT., AIR POLLUTION, SINKS, FORESTS, PRODUCTIVITY, LAND USE, PLANNING, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, INDUSTRIAL PLANTS, REVEGETATION, SPOIL BANKS, EUROPE, POLLUTION, WESTERN EUROPE, 500200* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989), 510500 - Environment, Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989), 560303 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987) %PMedium: X; Size: Pages: 107-116 %TImportance of open (green) spaces in the polluted Ruhr and the resultant consequences for land use planning in the Ruhr %XThe Siedlungsverband Ruhrkohlenbezirk (SVR) is a regional association formed in 1920, which covers the fourth largest conurbation in the world. At the present time, over 5 1/2 million people live in it, on an area of nearly 4600 sq km, i.e. almost 10% of the population of the Federal Republic on 2% of its area (225 inhabitants per sq km). Apart from its legal obligations in the field of land use planning, it also undertakes other important tasks in the field of landscape care and conservation. The conservation and care of the landscape inside a conurbation is an extremely important social and political problem. Here the open space policy is of special importance. Open (green) spaces help to improve the climate in the development area, to reduce temperature extremes, to restore the air, and to provide scope for recreation outside the residential areas. It is obvious that the open spaces in a conurbation, with a rising population and associated extension of civic and industrial development, are exposed to the danger of being alienated. This applies especially to forest areas. Even so, despite the considerable building activity in the last 50 years, the forest has been maintained so that only about 10,000 ha. (out of 82,000 ha. in 1920) have been lost. The forest forms 15.5% of the total surface area of the SVR region. Every effort should be made not merely to maintain but to increase this percentage. This can be done by afforestation of marginal land, waste land, tips and spoil mounds, and other unused areas. However, a further reduction of the pollution which adversely affects the vegetation is a prerequisite for the conservation of the natural basis of life for man. Environmental hygiene must therefore be included in environmental planning. %0Conference %N;Journal ID: CODEN: MFBWA %1 %CAustria %Rhttps://doi.org/ Journal ID: CODEN: MFBWA JMT %GGerman