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.
The transformation of Genk after the end of coal mining is a multi-stage process that continues to this day. With the closure of the mines, the first attempt at a new direction was the establishment of a Ford Motor plant in the 1960s. However, in 2014 the company closed its Genk site, leaving the city to find an alternative and undergo another transformation. At that point, however, they decided that instead of relying on a single industry again, they wanted to have more than one foot in the door. At the same time, discussions began on possible uses for the buildings and infrastructure that had been abandoned on the mine site for decades. The protection of mining heritage and infrastructure has taken a leading role in this new direction. The aim of local leaders was to take advantage of and build on existing opportunities.
Of course, implementation was not so simple. One of the biggest challenges was to protect the former mining sites and prevent demolition, and to ensure that local decision-makers saw the area as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. The demolition of a former railway line has also proved to be a mistake in the meantime, as it later became necessary and had to be rebuilt. But it was also difficult to agree on a joint regional plan because local authorities had different ideas and attitudes about the transformation and this new direction.
Despite this, they have successfully converted several former mining sites and given them a new remit. Thor Park, created on the site of the former Watersche mine, has become a symbol of the transition from coal mining to green energy: the 93-hectare technology park is home to companies active in R&D, innovation, business, talent management and urbanisation. The largely dismantled zwartberg mine has been transformed into a business park, mainly for SMEs and local entrepreneurs. It also houses a public garden, an art studio and a biodiversity research park. The former Winterslag mine (now known as C-mine) has been revitalised as a creative and cultural hub. It is home to a cinema, a theatre, the Luna art school and an incubator centre for start-ups. And the spectacular virtual mine attracts many tourists with guided tours.
One of the reasons for its success is the location of the city, as it is situated in an economic and logistical area, and is close to several major cities with universities. But part of it was also that the improvements were preceded by a coordinated regional planning process, where site managers agreed to implement the transformation along 1-1 different leading themes. This avoided counterproductive competition between them.
The transformation is not over, there are still challenges to be solved, but the Genki exercise is an excellent example of how to preserve mining heritage and create modern jobs at the same time.