Swiss government eases heritage rules to speed up construction

The Swiss Federal Council is loosening rules on protected townscapes, a move intended to make building projects easier across the country. The changes follow complaints about planning uncertainty and could affect thousands of homes in Zurich, SRF reports.

The Federal Inventory of Protected Townscapes (ISOS) covers about 1,200 places, from Zurich and Basel to small villages. In recent years, it has faced criticism because requirements linked to the inventory have delayed or blocked building projects.

The effects have been particularly pronounced in Zurich, where three-quarters of the city is included in the inventory and much of the city lies above groundwater. The city estimates that uncertainty over ISOS rules has held up projects involving about 4,000 new homes.

One prominent example is the Dreispitz housing cooperative development in Zurich-Schwamendingen, where ASIG plans to build about 1,000 homes. Disputes over heritage requirements, solar panels and civil defence structures delayed the project by up to two years. “Years of planning were blocked,” said Martin Schneider of the Zurich city planning department.

In 2024, Zurich raised concerns with the federal government about excessive planning and legal uncertainty. The Federal Office of Culture then brought the parties together for a round table and developed a solution.

Under the new approach, ISOS will be applied directly only where a project actually affects the townscape. Rules for solar panels on new buildings will also be simplified, with the aim of speeding up construction.

The Federal Office of Culture and Zurich’s city planning department have welcomed the changes as a breakthrough. But Gregor Rutz, a Swiss People’s Party member of parliament and head of the Zurich City Homeowners’ Association, said it remains to be seen whether the new approach will lead to faster permit procedures.

Lucerne and Zug also welcomed the changes, saying they could simplify or speed up approval procedures. Lucerne does not expect a building boom, noting that ISOS has not been the main obstacle to projects there. Basel said the new federal rules would make little difference to the city.