Spreepark

The Spreepark in Berlin, Germany, may sound more like an abandoned theme park than a 21st-century ecological paradise, but there, nature is paving the way. After it was abandoned in 2001, the nearby vegetation quickly started to thrive.

A rollercoaster track that had been present since the park's opening in 1969 disappeared into stretches of green branches, while fallen plastic dinosaurs are scattered among lush grasses. These structures had been there when the park first opened in 1969. Years went by as disputes regarding debts, ownership, and possible uses for the land persisted without a conclusion.

Twenty years after it shut down, a new effort hopes to revive the location while incorporating the natural environment. Spreepark might serve as an illustration of how development and ecological preservation can coexist, if it is effective.

• Country: Germany