Zurich tightens high-rise rules as Ostermundigen approves tower

Zurich voters have tightened restrictions on high-rise construction, while voters in Ostermundigen, a municipality in the canton of Bern, approved a planned 69-metre wooden tower. SRF reports that the contrasting decisions reflect how much public acceptance of high-rises depends on where they are built and what they offer.

In Zurich, 62.5 percent of voters backed stricter rules. Buildings up to 40 metres will be allowed only at a limited number of locations, mainly in neighbourhood centres. Towers of 60 metres or more will require a development plan approved by the city council. Higher building density will also be more closely tied to providing affordable housing.

Supporters said the rules would help prevent displacement and rising housing costs. Opponents warned that they could make it harder to increase density and build urgently needed homes. High-rises will remain possible, but their number and locations will be more restricted.

In Ostermundigen, 79.5 percent of voters approved the planning rules for the Werkstadthaus, which is planned near the railway station in a designated development area. The mostly timber building is to include homes, commercial premises and service businesses. The municipality described it as a small village in the sky, designed as a meeting place and to meet high sustainability standards, with materials and resources reused where possible.

Objections during the public consultation raised concerns about shadows and increased traffic. The planned tower would join the Bärentower, which opened nearby in 2022.

Spatial planner Joris Van Wezemael said the question was not simply whether high-rises should be built, but where they fit and whether they add value. A tower near a railway station in a development area may be better received than one built by replacing homes in an established city neighbourhood. High-rises placed in open green landscapes can also face opposition, he said.

Van Wezemael said high-rises also have a poor image in Switzerland, where they are often considered unattractive. In Zurich, he noted, repeated wins by the same architecture firms in competitions have produced a distinctive style, including exposed concrete frames, polished concrete and brick cladding, that may not appeal to average tastes.

New towers are also sometimes criticised as luxury housing beyond the reach of average earners. Their construction and operation are costly, with structural, fire-safety and building-services requirements adding to expenses. More floors also create greater shadows, a frequent source of public opposition.

Swiss high-rises have long faced resistance. Residential towers built in the 1960s and 1970s were quickly criticised as bleak and anonymous. A modest new building boom has emerged only in recent years.