New Edition Released: ARL Country Profile Switzerland

The latest edition of the ARL Country Profile of Switzerland offers a fresh look at the country’s spatial planning, highlighting recent developments in legal frameworks, governance, and planning practice. Authored by Dr. Andreas Hengstermann and Dr. Gabriela Debrunner, it showcases how Switzerland carefully balances compact urban growth, environmental protection, and regional cohesion across its diverse landscapes—from the soaring Alps to the bustling Swiss Plateau.

Swiss spatial planning functions across three levels—federal, cantonal, and municipal—blending strategic frameworks, legal instruments, and citizen participation to guide land use. At the national level, the Federal Office for Spatial Development ensures that federal objectives are met, while cantonal structural plans set priorities for settlements, landscapes, mobility, and infrastructure. Municipalities bring these plans to life, implementing zoning regulations often in close collaboration with private planning offices and involving citizens through referenda and consultations.

Guided by principles of subsidiarity, cooperative federalism, and the historic compromise between public interest and property rights, Switzerland continues to foster resilient, sustainable, and well-ordered settlements. Recent reforms, including SPA-2 and updates to the Territorial Concept, focus on inward development, stabilising non-building areas, and promoting sustainable land use across cantons and municipalities.

Read more about the Planning System of Switzerland.