The art of interior design – Zurich’s path to the future

In an interview, Katrin Gügler, Director of Spatial Planning for the City of Zurich, provides a comprehensive insight into her diverse tasks. Together with her interdisciplinary team, she works on Zurich's development with the aim of maintaining a high quality of life despite urban growth and promoting sustainable solutions. Challenges such as housing shortages and climate change are imminent, but innovative construction projects and the efficient use of space and resources are seen as the key to sustainable development.

You are the Director of Spatial Planning for the City of Zurich. Can you give us an overview of your responsibilities?
Together with my staff, as director of the office I help plan the future of the city of Zurich. In order to make the most of the opportunities offered by a city in transition, we have specialist departments such as architecture and planning, including archaeology, monument preservation, the architectural history archive and a competence centre for geoinformation. The exchange gives us a very precise view of Zurich – from its prehistory to 2040.

What are the goals of urban and spatial development in Zurich and what roles do you play in site and area development?
We not only want to maintain the high quality of life in the city of Zurich, but also expand it. It should be able to improve selectively, both ecologically and socially sustainably. This requires suitable utilisation planning instruments – and we are in charge of developing and refining them.

The municipal structure plan for settlement, landscape, public buildings and facilities is essential in this regard. We use it to specify which areas are suitable for building densification. We also designate areas for the provision of public open spaces as well as for communal public buildings and facilities – such as for primary schools or sports facilities. It is also an important coordination tool, as it shows how building density must be coordinated with transport and the supply of renewable energy, and it sets guidelines for other spatial aspects of environmentally and socially compatible urban development.

What challenges does urban development face compared to other Swiss cities and what advantages does Zurich offer?
Zurich shares many challenges with other cities in Switzerland and Europe. The focus is on growth and the associated demand for living space, whereby affordable housing in particular must be secured in the city. Demographic change and the pluralisation of lifestyles are leading to a variety of housing types and housing needs – which we need to address.

In addition to socio-spatially compatible densification, the climate is a key issue. Around a quarter of all CO2 emissions come from the building sector. Urban planning and architecture today must be climate and environmentally friendly, conserve resources and preserve landscapes. In addition to climate protection, we need to curb heat island effects.
What we no longer have, unlike other cities, are vacant industrial sites for conversion. Density reinforces the various interests in land and buildings in a city. In addition, as the economic engine of Switzerland, Zurich is under particular public scrutiny. Planning decisions require political discussion – participation is demanded. If there is no debate, a number of new buildings are appealed.

What are the most important construction projects in Zurich and how do they contribute to the city and spatial development?
I include planning in this. For example, the Josef site, the Schlachthof site, the Wollishofen lakeside and the Papierwerd site. They are important for Zurich’s urban development due to the previously mentioned shortage of space. This results in the challenging task of utilising these sites sustainably and efficiently in terms of planning.
The city is also building itself – particularly affordable housing. The Leutschenbach and Tramdepot Hard housing estates alone will offer over 550 flats. In the case of Thurgauerstrasse or the Koch site, the city is allocating building land to non-profit housing developers.

In connection with such large-scale projects, it is important to plan the associated social infrastructure. In particular, the provision of sufficient school space and cultural buildings such as the theatre and opera house are important for the city as a whole.
In addition to the site developments and buildings mentioned above, the updating of the high-rise guidelines and the revision of the building and zoning regulations are among the most important tasks entrusted to Zurich’s urban planning department. The aim of these planning instruments is to find a way of dealing with monument protection, the inventory and the ISOS and to reconcile this with the planned building developments.

Which areas in Zurich are particularly attractive for companies and why?
This is highly dependent on the size and type of company; each company defines its own individual requirements for the choice of location. For a corporation that wants to develop and expand its own site in the long term, other locations are certainly considered attractive than for an SME that aims to develop within the neighbourhood.

In principle, all neighbourhoods in Zurich are attractive, as there are good public transport connections everywhere. There has been a positive development here compared to recent years and decades – Zurich no longer has a real “periphery”.

Where do you still see development potential and how could this be tapped?
There is potential in cooperation with neighbouring municipalities. One of the special features of spatial planning is that it does not end at the city boundary, even if this boundary means a political change. Examples of this are the Limmat region or the Glattal with its shared public transport service. In these areas, it is important to coordinate planning across borders in order to secure the services and networking of the neighbourhoods.

There is also potential in coordinating with the canton or federal government on issues such as noise and ISOS. Federal or cantonal regulations have a major impact in a city like Zurich. I see great potential in closer coordination with the association of cities.

How is Zurich positioning itself in the area of mobility development and planning?
In the municipal structure plan, the focus for urban mobility is on efficient and well-developed public transport and the further development of functional and attractive urban and street spaces. We are striving for a city of short distances. Neighbourhood centres will be strengthened and new ones developed. It will become more attractive for residents to shop locally, and retailers will open new shops in the neighbourhood as they can count on customers.

The mobility figures show that the urban population is increasingly relying on bicycles and public transport. The city is specifically promoting walking and cycling in particular. The city provides targeted advice to companies and property managers through the “Impuls Mobilität” programme.

Has the pandemic brought about changes in Zurich’s planning?
Public spaces have become more important during the coronavirus pandemic. Especially for children and young people, who are dependent on open spaces in their immediate neighbourhood. On the whole, individual transport modes such as walking, cycling and driving have become more important, while public transport has been avoided due to the potential risk of infection. It is important to take the positive effects of the pandemic, such as the use of bicycles and the smoothing of traffic peaks through increased working from home, into the future.

The pandemic and mobile working have brought about changes whose effects on urban planning we will only see in a few years’ time. In Zurich, neighbourhood centres in particular are also benefiting from the home office trend. During the pandemic, quick access to shopping, healthcare facilities, sports centres, restaurants and green spaces that did not require public transport was key. More attention must be paid to the need for liveable urban spaces in the future.

What factors make Zurich an attractive place to live?
Zurich is attractive and offers a high quality of life. There are many reasons for this: For example, the wide and attractive range of childcare and cultural facilities, attractive open spaces, educational centres, good infrastructure and high architectural quality. The location by the lake and the proximity to nature are also attractive. Despite lively building activity, the urban neighbourhoods have not lost their identity. In my opinion, this is a great strength of our city.

How do you envisage the ideal development of the city of Zurich?
What would be the core elements?
Ideal is the wrong phrase in this context; there is no such thing as ideal development. Rather, urban planning is dynamic and is significantly influenced by political decisions. It must continuously respond to current and future socio-spatial and ecological concerns. It is important that we have a common vision of what Zurich should be and how it should develop in the future. The municipal structure plan formulates a target image, from differentiated structural densification and sufficient open spaces for recreation to the city’s centres and infrastructure. Below this, there are countless smaller levels, projects and events that are part of the city in transition. Zurich has a lot of potential that needs to be secured and utilised through urban planning. Not overnight, but for future generations of Zurich residents.

Quelle: Christoph Grüninger, Bild: zVg.