Lenzburg AG – Sustainable neighbourhoods have a long tradition in Switzerland and are now more important than ever. With the Lenzburg-based project Im Lenz, the Green Economy Dialogue Portal is demonstrating the limitations and opportunities of this model.
A video produced by the Green Economy Dialogue Portal highlights the tensions that are reality in sustainable neighbourhoods. These areas are often constructed on former industrial sites in central locations and today, are largely seen as an answer to the pressure to develop.
At the same time, these neighbourhoods must meet diverse demands: they must offer residents a high quality of life, protect natural resources and create added value, explained expert Heinz H. Bernegger, lecturer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW and head of the Swiss Association for Sustainable Real Estate SGNI, in a statement.
He added that Switzerland was well positioned in this field on an international level. However, he explained, each neighbourhood must demonstrate in its use over time that it works as a sustainable body. “You can’t plan social balance,” emphasised Bernegger.
A new project, the Im Lenz neighbourhood, being developed and built by sole contractor and property developer Losinger Marazzi, is to demonstrate everything that could be achieved. Awarded the “2000-Watt area under development” label, Im Lenz is currently under construction in the middle of Lenzburg. René Bäbler, who is responsible for sustainable construction at Losinger Marazzi, said: “We have noticed increased demand – not necessarily for certified properties, but for attractive, lively and networked neighbourhoods.”
The Dialogue Portal, which is run by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), demonstrates the diversity of business models, activities and initiatives in the field of the green economy.
