Baden Regio sets out its next planning strategy

23 local authorities in the Baden region are refining their joint development strategy. A new Regional Development Strategy (RES) is due to be finalised by the end of 2026. For urban development, housing, transport and open spaces, this is more than just a piece of paper, as the association brings together precisely those issues that regularly get bogged down at local authority boundaries.

The timetable has been set. Baden Regio intends to replace the existing Regional Development Strategy 2020 and present a new RDS by the end of 2026. This brings the issue of regional coordination in the areas of housing, mobility, open space and location development back to the fore, precisely because these areas have long since extended beyond individual municipal boundaries in the region.

The association currently comprises 23 local authorities. Eight areas of action have been defined as part of the ongoing strategy review. These include, amongst others, society, housing and public services, mobility, as well as urban development and open spaces. Conversely, issues that are better decided at local level or are already enshrined in federal and cantonal legislation are to be deliberately excluded.

From Vision to Implementation Agenda
The previous RES 2020 was not without impact. In subsequent documents, Baden Regio points out that numerous measures from the current development strategy have been worked on or implemented. These include, for example, sector-specific initiatives such as a regional sports facilities strategy or assessments of educational provision as a location factor. For the property and planning sectors, it is crucial that the new RES once again serves as a shared framework for those issues where settlement, infrastructure and regional functions converge.

Regional impact rather than individual decisions
For project developers, local authorities and property owners, the practical leverage lies less in an individual decision that is immediately binding than in the setting of political priorities. This is precisely where the revision gains significance. Earlier Baden Regio guidelines had already established that regional development concepts serve as a framework for future spatial and transport planning, as well as for the coordination of local land-use plans. If housing, services, climate, mobility and open space are now jointly re-prioritised, this will influence the discussion on densification, accessibility and location qualities throughout the Baden region.

The new framework is due to be in place by the end of 2026
A strategic draft is expected to be availablebefore the endof2026. It will then become clear which projects and measures from the eight areas of action will actually be given priority. This phase is particularly delicate for spatial development, as the region must coordinate its growth-related issues without encroaching on the responsibilities of the canton, the federal government or individual municipalities.