Since the beginning of the last century, the Ruhr Area has been the industrial heart of Germany. With the demise of the coal, iron and steel industries, the region now faces an existential question: growth or shrinkage? This dichotomy is the point of departure for the development of various future scenarios, and it is from here that MVRDV, the celebrated Rotterdam-based architectural firm, developed its structural exploration on the future of the Rhine-Ruhr region, implemented in cooperation with a number of German and Netherlandish universities. Extensively documented in this book, the study presents a compact commentary on the meaning of region, identity and tradition, issues ever more consciously present in the age of globalization. Also in this volume is MVRDV's pavilion for Hannover EXPO 2000. The firm caused a stir with its design for the Dutch pavilion, whose motto, "Holland Creates Space," was skillfully translated into a fa ade-free building with stacked-up landscapes.