Implementing parsimonious land use: Basic analysis and decisive changes for Switzerland

Abstract

Since the enactment of the Spatial Planning Act (SPA) in Switzerland in 1980, there has been a deficit in the implementation of parsimonious land use as required by it. If Switzerland were to use its land parsimoniously, it would have to better coordinate transport and land use, make more intensive and better balanced use of its built land in suitable locations by making better use of the existing urban infrastructure. This document describes the newly developed Swiss Urban Information System for Parsimonious Land Use (SUISPLU). Firstly, it serves to analyse the spatial relationships as well as the effects of planning measures in terms of past, present and future land consumption. The urban information system measures and projects functional relationships in terms of the distribution, intensity, and housing–job ratios. It also shows the past, present and future use of urban areas in relation to building zones and accessibility by public transport. Secondly, it is used to measure the current modal share and forecast future modal share. It also determines structural relationships in 10-minute neighbourhoods, i.e. catchment areas with a radius of 0.5 kilometres that can be reached on foot. Finally, it measures the impact of regulatory constraints on the housing market and proposes incentive levies to correct excessive land consumption. This thesis is intended to provide a basis for the social discussion on the interest and implementation of parsimonious land use. The developed SUISPLU and policy recommendation are to deliver guidance for the implementation of parsimonious land use. This work demonstrates that current land use planning hinders parsimonious land use and that parsimonious land use can only be achieved if the coordination of public transport and building zones and the intensification of land use and the targeted allocation of living and working are guided by structure and land use plans. The externalities of construction and transport must also be taken into account. Therefore, current, normative, static, and exclusionary land use regulations need to be replaced with context-dependent, conditional, dynamic, and inclusionary ones, and design-based instruments need to be supplemented with price-based instruments. This requires web-based, multi-level and multi-tiered governance. This is defined by nine spatial requirements, consisting of three functional, three structural and three real estate and land use regulations related aspects. First applications of the SUISPLU are underway. Further applied research on the transformation of existing neighbourhoods and basic research on the development of a fee and building regulation system are necessary and planned. In brief: If the legally required implementation of a parsimonious land use is to succeed, a continuous transfer of knowledge, the levying of incentive levies and a reform of teaching in urban planning and design are essential.