Short summary of the study prepared by the European Union Platform for Coal Regions in Transition. For the full source material, please click on the link at the end of the article.
Good practices II – Genk, Belgium Read More »
For nearly 150 years, coal mining has provided a livelihood for generations in this small northern French town of 7,000 people and defined the identity of individuals and communities alike. When the last mine closed in the 1980s, residents had to deal not only with environmental but also social damage.
The legacy of mining included huge tailings piles, subsidence and contaminated groundwater, skyrocketing unemployment, and a loss of identity and self-esteem. They were at a crossroads.They could have tried to attract another similar large-scale industrial activity to replace coal mining. Or, they could seek a new direction and redefine themselves. Not wanting to repeat the same problem and become vulnerable again, the town council decided to steer the future of Loos-en-Gohelle in a different direction, but without denying its past.
Good Practice I. – Loos-en-Gohelle, France Read More »