Reasons for the decline of Ruhr area

(1) Single production structure (internal cause of decline).

The main feature of the industrial structure in Ruhr District is that it is based on coal industry, dominated by steel industry, and highly concentrated in a few heavy industries (coal, steel, electricity, machinery, chemical industry). The outstanding problem is that the production structure is single, and the decline in the output of an industrial sector will lead to the decline in the output of the whole region.

(2) the decline of coal energy status (the main reason for the decline of coal industry).

Since 1950s, the proportion of coal in the composition of world energy consumption has gradually decreased (due to the wide application of oil and natural gas), and the coal consumption of new technology steelmaking has also gradually decreased.

(3) Global steel surplus (the main reason for the decline of the steel industry).

After 1950s, the competition in the world steel market was fierce (steel producers and steel exporters increased). After 1970s, the market demand for steel decreased (steel substitutes were widely used due to the economic crisis), resulting in the world steel surplus.

(4) the influence of the new technological revolution (the root cause of the decline of traditional industrial areas). The new technological revolution has produced a large number of new industrial sectors and changed the traditional industrial production mode and organization form. The traditional production organization mode of industrial enterprises in Ruhr district can't meet the requirements of the development of the times, and because of the shortage of land and serious environmental pollution, emerging enterprises are reluctant to settle here.