Author Description

General D. I. Scargill, University of Oxford. Great economic and social changes have taken place in Europe in recent years, and there has been growing consciousness of the need for regional planning. The magnitude, persistence, and areal extent of consequent problems for specific regions seem to justify studies which identify, analyse and even seek solutions to them. The different regions chosen for this series illustrate a variety of problems such as a harsh environment, contraction of agriculture, isolation, industrial decay, urban congestion, or proximity to a sensitive political frontier. One problem of this kind forms the theme for each study but attention has been drawn to similar problems encountered in other parts of the continent and the reader is encouraged to deduce principles of more general application. Introduction; 1 North Rhine-Westphalia in the European Context; The natural framework; The man-made framework; Administration; Economic regions; 2 Legacies from the Past; Agriculture and rural societies; Soil resources; The peasantry; Changes in crops and livestock; Agrarpolitik and agricultural restructuring; The Common Agricultural Policy; The cities and towns; Historical factors; Post-war reconstruction; 3 Contemporary Problems; Coal in decline; Iron and steel; New industries for old; Transport; Problems on the national and European scale; Problems at the local level; Water supply and water pollution; Recreation and countryside conservation; The case of the Rhenish Brown Coalfield; 4 Planning for the Future; North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal system; North Rhine-Westphalia's development plans; Population increase; Growth poles and axes; The North Rhine-Westphalia Programme 1975; Further Work.