Switzerland is growing, but land is scarce. For this reason, economiesuisse has now presented proposals for a business-friendly spatial policy, which are based on the assumption that Switzerland will grow in the future in the existing urban areas.
According to the proposals, building and non-building areas should be strictly separated, but it must be possible to use them in a more flexible manner. This involves both the possibility of reutilizing industrial areas when they become available and consolidating as well as using more flexibly below- and aboveground spaces.
Planning and approval procedures should also become simpler and faster. For example, economiesuisse proposes introducing fixed deadlines for licensing procedures. Likewise, substitute measures for the use of non-building land should be made more flexible, such as by setting up a fund into which builders who are unable to carry out substitute measures themselves can contribute.
From the perspective of economiesuisse, a successful spatial policy is one that makes a location more attractive by providing the economy with enough space for its activities. In doing so, it should also respect the order of the market economy. The state’s role here is merely to set the framework conditions, and it should not intervene in the real estate market except in the event of market failure.
The proposals are intended to contribute to the debate triggered by the ‘urban sprawl initiative’, which economiesuisse considers too radical. At the same time, it regards today’s spatial planning policy as too sluggish and rigid, and lacking cost transparency as well as incorrect controls on the real estate market and in building regulations. This in turn leads to an inefficient use of space, argues economiesuisse.
