The Federal Statistical Office predicts that Switzerland’s population will reach the 9-million threshold by 2023 before rising to around 10 million by 2035. According to the think tank Avenir Suisse, it won’t be necessary to build up green spaces or alpine areas to accommodate this growing population. The focus should instead be on finding ways for these additional residents to live in cities and not scattered central Switzerland in single-family homes.

To accomplish this, cities must be made denser, but this will require overcoming regulatory hurdles. One problem is that small-scale federalism makes it difficult to coherently plan functional spaces. It would therefore require instruments that enable inter-cantonal exchange of building zones. Even if this would prove unrealistic, authorities should still at least aim to optimise settlements with the cantons. This would require measures that would make it possible to mobilise existing, well-situated building zones.

Another obstacle is that there are far less administrative and political hurdles to building up green spaces than urban spaces. One reason is that the interests of multiple stakeholders have to be satisfied in urban spaces. Rigid building codes and efforts to protect historic buildings also play a role.

Changes would also have to be made to inter-communal financial equalisation, explains Avenir Suisse. Unfavourably situated towns are trying to stay competitive by freeing up attractive land. They should instead receive compensation for the lack of growth potential from better situated towns.