Canton of Zurich calls on Federal Council to act
The housing shortage is worsening, especially in urban centres such as the canton of Zurich. Complex authorisation procedures, delays due to objections and new legal hurdles such as the ISOS inventory are blocking urgently needed residential construction projects. The Zurich cantonal government is now calling on the Federal Council to act swiftly so as not to slow down densification any further.
The pressure on the housing market is enormous. Demand is constantly rising, while supply is lagging behind. The canton of Zurich is particularly affected, where construction projects are increasingly being delayed or prevented by appeals. The consequences are rising rents, social tensions and growing political pressure to act. Five cantonal popular initiatives show how much the issue of housing concerns the population.
Improvements are unnecessarily delayed
Although new noise protection regulations have already been adopted, their implementation is still a long time coming. The Zurich cantonal government is calling on the Federal Council to bring the changes to the law into force quickly. This is because protection interests must not be allowed to block the expansion of urgently needed living space. A clear legal basis is essential for planning security and accelerated procedures.
Protection instrument or strategic objection tool?
The Government Council is particularly critical of the increasing direct application of the federal inventory ISOS, which actually serves to protect important sites. However, the inventory is increasingly being used to object to new construction projects. With serious consequences for inner densification. This problem is already very noticeable in Zurich, but it is increasingly spreading to other cantons.
Although the cantonal government supports the announced round table on the ISOS issue, it is calling for concrete and timely solutions that must be developed together with the federal government, cantons and municipalities.
Call for political prioritisation
According to the cantonal government, the provision of housing is a key concern for the population and the economy. The federal government must strike a new balance between protection interests and structural development so that urgently needed housing construction is not blocked any further. The responsibility for this now lies with the relevant federal authorities.