Basel tightens regulations on affordable housing on vacant plots
In future, one third of the residential floor space in large regeneration areas in Basel-Stadt must be offered on a cost-based rent basis on a permanent basis. The government is…
Residential
“Freeze the Rent,” a command that has the world sitting up and taking notice
New York is expensive, ruthless, and notoriously unaffordable. Now its new mayor is getting serious. Starting in October 2026, rent increases will be capped at zero percent for nearly one…
Wood is on the rise and changing everything
For decades, wood was the material of choice for single-family homes and vacation chalets. Those days are over. In Regensdorf, a 75-meter-tall residential tower made of beech wood and concrete…
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Zürich 
Six billion francs, and the market goes wild
Zurich wants to create affordable housing, but in doing so is driving up prices. How is that possible? It’s quite simple: when the government uses taxpayer money to bid alongside…
St. Gallen is refining its vision for the future of Lerchenfeld
In the west of St. Gallen, Lerchenfeld is set to become denser, taller and more diverse over the next two decades. The new development strategy links additional residential and commercial…
Lucerne is redefining the limits of growth
The canton of Lucerne is basing its structural plan on a population of 560,000 by 2050. As current building zones, according to available data, will only last until around 2040,…
Schwamendingen is trialling a cultural housing allocation scheme
A new replacement development comprising 154 co-operative flats is to be built on Wallisellenstrasse in Zurich-Schwamendingen. This case illustrates just how delicate the balance between affordable housing, cultural identity and…
Lucerne is incorporating housing into the town hall
Seetalplatz in Emmenbrücke is not only the site of the new administrative headquarters for the Canton of Lucerne. The 192-million-franc development will also bring 17 rental flats onto the market.…
Vaz/Obervaz is putting more pressure on the housing market
It is not Zurich, but Vaz/Obervaz that has the most acute housing shortage in the latest municipal ranking. For the Graubünden housing market, this is more than just a curiosity:…
Zurich restricts short-term accommodation in residential areas
In future, the City of Zurich will be able to impose stricter restrictions on business apartments and professional short-term lettings in residential areas. Following the Federal Supreme Court’s ruling, the…
Zurich is intensifying pressure on the rental market
Across Switzerland, the number of rental apartments advertised between April 2025 and March 2026 was about 4 percent lower than in the previous year. At the same time, the average…
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Bern Re-Ranks Senior Housing in the Middle of the Pack
In Bern’s new Viererfeld/Mittelfeld neighborhood, the M31 development site—reserved for senior housing—is now set to be developed by the Serena Foundation. This change keeps the goal of affordable housing for…
Luxury Market Loses Momentum in the Lowlands
Swiss luxury real estate prices rose again by more than 3 percent in 2025. However, while mountain communities continued to see growth of 6 percent, many primary residence markets along…
Rent Control Initiative Increases Pressure on Rental Law
With more than 140,000 signatures submitted, the rent initiative is now on the political agenda. For property owners, managers, and developers, this brings into focus not only the issue of…
There’s plenty of land available for construction, but nobody is building
Switzerland is debating the housing shortage. The FDP therefore wants to rezone more land. But a recent study shows that the problem lies elsewhere. Building land is available; it’s just…
There is a shortage of 200,000 apartments
Zurich has a housing problem. That’s common knowledge. What’s less well known is why it has become so severe and who is responsible for it. ETH lecturer Sibylle Wälty says:…
FDP Challenges Zoning Policy
One week after the “No” vote on the 10-million initiative, the FDP is shifting the housing policy debate to building land, objections, and land-use conversions. For planners, property owners, and…
Low key interest rates keep mortgage rates low
The SNB last left its key interest rate at 0 percent on March 19, 2026. This means that short-term financing remains attractive for homeowners and homebuyers. The advantage of Saron…