Cross-border territorial vision 2050
Visuel Grand Genève en transition-Vision territoriale transfrontalière
The climatic and social challenges of our time require a rethink in land use planning beyond national borders. The Canton of Geneva, the Nyon region and the Pôle métropolitain du Genevois français have joined forces to develop a common vision for the future development of the greater Geneva area. This cross-border territorial vision will serve as the basis for future regional developments.
The Geneva metropolitan area faces the complex task of managing the available space efficiently while coping with continued population growth. The ecological transition requires an innovative approach that takes into account the geographical specificities and accessibility of the regions in order to best manage the impact of population growth.
In all the regions concerned, measures must be tailored to local circumstances and supported by the entire population in order to fulfil ecological commitments. These measures are adaptable and can be transferred from one region to another as part of an ongoing dialogue.
In this context, the cantons of Geneva and Vaud, in collaboration with the French Geneva Metropolitan Cluster, have taken the initiative to launch an ecological transition process under the name “Cross-border Territorial Vision 2050”. The aim of this comprehensive exploratory approach is to redefine spatial planning and adapt it to environmental challenges.
Spatial planning plays a central role in the development of the region in order to meet the needs of the 400,000 additional people expected by 2050. This is a challenge, especially given the limited space in Geneva and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Strategies are currently being developed in Geneva to manage this increase while maintaining a high-quality, sustainable living environment. The objectives of these strategies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change and protecting biodiversity.
The “Vision Territoriale Transfrontalière 2050” project has already resulted in a participatory roadmap, which was adopted by the State Council at the end of 2021. Based on the climate emergency, the cantonal climate plan and the “Greater Geneva in transition” charter of 2022, this roadmap defines the stages and methods of the preparatory work that will feed into the next spatial planning documents.
This project- and practice-oriented approach strongly involves local actors, in particular municipalities and associations, and promotes deep local anchoring, which facilitates subsequent implementation. The spatial scenarios developed by transdisciplinary teams enable the gradual development of a shared vision. The relevance of this vision is evaluated locally in discussion groups and, if it is conclusive, can be implemented on a larger scale. This iterative approach leads to a dynamic development of territorial concepts that are continuously refined and adapted to regional needs. In this way, the overall vision becomes a coherent, joint territorial project that strengthens local identities.
The final version of the cross-border Territorial Vision 2050 should be available in summer 2024. An interim assessment already allows initial conclusions to be drawn and the outline of the vision to be sketched out. Concepts such as the “ecological ceiling” and the “social foundation”, inspired by Kate Raworth’s donut theory, play a central role in the spatial planning strategies. This change of perspective places the living world and its ecosystems at the centre of planning. Other aspects, such as the densification and reorganisation of urban spaces, promote short distances and efficient use of resources, which ultimately reduces the need for mobility and contributes to sustainable urban development.
This comprehensive, region-specific approach ensures that Greater Geneva plays a leading role in sustainable spatial planning, not only as part of Switzerland, but also in a wider European context. The cross-border Vision 2050 thus makes a decisive contribution to the ongoing adaptation and improvement of Swiss spatial planning.