Christoph Zöpel (born July 4, 1943) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and professor.
[1] From 1969 to 1972, Zöpel was a councillor for the city of Bochum, and from 1972 to 1990 a member of the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia.
After the 1980 state parliamentary elections, he was appointed Minister for Regional and Urban Development on June 4, 1980.
[4] After the 1985 state parliamentary elections, his departmental responsibilities were expanded so that he was Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Transport from June 5, 1985.
[8] As Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Transport in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, he initiated the IBA Emscher Park in the 1980s,[9] which was finally realized between 1989 and 1999 under the direction of Karl Ganser.