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Dr. Thorsten Wiechmann Saxon Triangle 29.10.2004

The “Saxon Triangle”

A Polycentric Region in Transformation

Dr. Thorsten Wiechmann

Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development

Dresden, Germany

Contribution to METREX Barcelona biennial Conference, Workshop 6, Barcelona, October 29th 2004


1 Scope and Structure of the Saxon Triangle


Regional Population Potential in Germany


Source: Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning



Metropolitan Region Saxon Triangle

3 Levels for Describing the Region:

- 5 Core Cities(Leipzig + Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz + Zwickau)

- 4 Agglomeration Areas(Leipzig + Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz/Zwickau)

- 3 Areas of Regional Cooperation(Leipzig/Halle + Dresden + Chemnitz/Zwickau)

State Development Planof Saxony (2003)- Spatial Structure -

State Development Plan of Saxony-Anhalt (2004)- Spatial Structure -

Dresden

LeipzigHalle

Zwickau

Chemnitz


109 km115 km45 km142 kmHalle

2:04 h35 km82 km115 kmZwickau

2:23 h0:31 h79 km74 kmChemnitz

0:29 h1:16 h1:44 h112 kmLeipzig

1:44 h1:40 h1:07 h1:04 hDresden

HalleZwickauChemnitzLeipzigDresden

Street Kilometres and Train Connections

Minimum distance between 2 cities= 35 km (Chemnitz - Zwickau)

Maximum distance between 2 cities = 142 km (Dresden - Halle)

Fastest train connection between2 cities = 0:29 h (Halle - Leipzig)

Farthest train connection between2 cities = 2:23 h (Halle - Chemnitz)

Population (31.12.2002) in …

Dresden 480.228 Dresden 717.549 Dresden 1.143.227Leipzig 494.795 Leipzig 598.284

Halle 240.119 Halle 297.283 Leipzig / Halle 1.357.960Chemnitz 252.618

Zwickau 100.892 Chemnitz / Zwickau 925.675 Chemnitz / Zwickau 852.305

1.568.652 2.538.791 3.353.492

… Core Cities … Agglomerations … Regional Cooperation Areas



Technological Capacity

Microelectronics Cluster in Dresden

- “Silicon Saxony” around Dresden

- N° 1 chip production location in Europe (under Top 5 in the world)

- 760 enterprises (Infineon, AMD, AMTC, ZMD)

- 20.000 jobs in the microelectronic industry

- Research facilities (incl. 3 Universities and a new nanoelectronic research center)

2 Regional Capacity of the Saxon Triangle

AMD

Infineon


Technological Capacity


Automotive Engineering in Saxony

- Centennial tradition in Saxony

- Recent Car Production in Zwickau (Volkswagen), Leipzig (BMW, Porsche) and Dresden (Phaeton)

- 450 enterprises in supplying industry in Saxon Triangle

- 60.000 jobs in this branch

- Research facilities

Locations of automotive engineering in SaxonyProduction Sites & Suppliers


Cultural Capacity


Important Cultural Events in Germany 2003/04 according to SPIEGEL Magazine (Source: KoRiS 2004)

Semper Opera Dresden


ESPON Study 1.1.1. (2003)

� Functional Urban Areas Typology

� 64 MEGAs in Europe, thereof 8 in Germany

� Saxon Triangle: Potentialto form a polycentric region outside the Pentagon

Berlin

Prague

Wroclaw

Saxon Triangle

� Existing studies assess the five cities separately, not the region

3 The Saxon Triangle as a Metropolitan Region


• In Germany 1997 seven regions were accounted as “European Metropolitan Regions” by the German Standing Conference of Ministers Responsible for Spatial Planning (MKRO):

- Rhine-Ruhr (including Cologne, Essen, Dortmund),

- Rhine-Main (including Frankfurt),

- Berlin,

- Hamburg,

- the Saxon Triangle

- Stuttgart, and

- Munich

The Federal Position Metropolitan Regions in Germany

• Due to their geographical location the Saxon Triangle and Berlin are particularly suitable to perform hub, facilitator, and transfer functions in the EU enlargement process.



• Saxon Triangle is to be developed to a dynamic European metropolitan region in a long term process

• Therefore the major cities should cooperate in partnership in the fields of

� Transportation

� Economy

� Tourism

� Education

� Science

� Sports

� Culture

� Marketing

State Development Plan of Saxony 2003 (LEP)

• Accessibility is to be improved by further integration into the TEN

LEP 2003



Phase 1: Informal Cooperation

1994 � Saxon LEP ‘94: Saxon Triangle to become a European city network

1995 � MKRO: Saxon Triangle as potential metropolitan region in Germany

1997 � MKRO: Saxon Triangle as a ‘European metropolitan region in Germany’

1997 � Study ‘Transportation in the Saxon Triangle’

2001 � Foundation of the ‘Network of German Metropolitan Regions’(Saxon Triangle is one of 8 members)

Phase 2: Boosted Cooperation among the Cities

2002 � Constitution of a standing working group; Members: Saxon State Ministry of Interior and the city planners of the 5 cities;since then regular meetings (initially 4 times per annum, now monthly)

2003 � Saxon LEP ’03: Saxon Triangle to become a European metropolitan region

2004 � Top-level meeting with the State Minister and the Lord Mayors� Elaboration of a joint strategy concept for the Saxon Triangle� Participation in PolyMETREXplus� Further sectoral activities

Chronology of Activities



- Regional Governance / Cooperation Structures

- Transportation and Mobility

- Regional Marketing / Corporate Identity

- Joint Business Development

- Education, Research and Technology

- Tourism, Culture and Sports

- External Cooperation / Positioning in Europe

Main Fields of Future Action

4 Perspectives of the Saxon Triangle

the “saxon triangle” a polycentric region in transformation€¦ · dr. thorsten wiechmann...

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