In eastern Germany, enormous pits carved into the landscape by decades of lignite mining are being transformed into a vast network of lakes, wetlands and restored land. The Lusatian Lakeland, spread across Brandenburg and Saxony between Berlin and Dresden, is being created by flooding former open-cast mines and reshaping their surroundings.
The buildings are usually demolished. Google Maps has some issues in that area, because roads have been removed, as they would only lead to demolished commie blocks. Housing is super cheap though.