Urban sprawl — the distribution of the population over many areas
What does urban sprawl mean? - The definition
The term urban sprawl describes the area-intensive construction of buildings outside urban zones. In Switzerland, pressure on vacant space is growing due to rising real estate prices and the desire of many people to own a home in the countryside. Attractive land prices in peripheral areas promote the movement of people from urban centers to rural areas, which leads to sprawled development. This trend has existed for several decades, which prompted the federal government to issue tax regulations back in the 1970s. The adopted in 1980 Spatial Planning Act (RPG) states that new buildings must be connected to public sewers, making buildings in undeveloped areas difficult.
Consequences of urban sprawl
The uncontrolled expansion of construction zones is leading to environmental and financial burdens:
- environmental destruction: Urban sprawl threatens contiguous natural areas such as forests and agricultural land as they are cut up by roads and buildings.
- Infrastructure costs: Each newly developed area requires additional roads, sewers and supply lines. For Switzerland, which already has over half a million buildings outside urban zones, this means significant community costs.
- Increasing mobility: As homes and workplaces are increasingly separating, traffic is increasing and thus polluting the environment and the existing transport network.
Measures against urban sprawl
Since 2014, the revised Spatial Planning Act (RPG) has been in force, which restricts construction activity outside existing building zones. Also the construction of Second homes and holiday homes was restricted because most of these properties are vacant and unnecessarily scarce living space. One settlement densification, also as internal development or redensification , is considered the most effective countermeasure to urban sprawl. The focus is on the efficient use of already developed areas within cities and municipalities. It is important to include and optimize existing infrastructure and public institutions in order to maintain the quality of life.
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