Despite the rent register, the debate on expropriation and the electoral risk, major rental housing projects are continuing to get under way in Berlin. The reason is straightforward, yet risky for developers. Demand remains high, but political uncertainty and rents exceeding 20 euros per square

956 valid signatures were enough in Zollikofen to put the rezoning of the Steinibachgrube to a public vote. This means that a housing project comprising around 140 flats will become a political litmus test for urban densification, the risk posed by contaminated sites and traffic

St. Gallen intends to offer financial incentives to owners of properties outside building zones to encourage them to demolish empty or unsightly buildings. To this end, the government is submitting an amendment to the Planning and Building Act for consultation. As things stand, the first payments

Temperatures of 39 degrees in German-speaking Switzerland and tropical nights in the cities are shifting the focus when it comes to home ownership. Prospective buyers are paying closer attention to shade, greenery and protection from the summer heat, whilst overheated locations and poorly insulated

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

750 million dollars by 2035, 500,000 additional homeowner households and a more than 40 per cent increase in mortgage volume. The largest US bank is banking on an aggressive expansion of financing in the weak US housing market, thereby turning access to home ownership into a growth area – of all

The greater Basel area is on the cusp of a boom in the construction of high-rise residential buildings, which will visibly transform the region within a decade. What was previously just three residential high-rises over 60 metres tall is set to become a dense network of new projects between the

An annual inflation rate of 0.5 per cent in June 2026 and an SNB key interest rate of 0 per cent will spare fixed-rate mortgages maturing by the end of the year the acute impact of rising interest rates. At present, the greatest influence often lies not with monetary policy, but with the banks’

While Zurich trembles in anticipation of the referendum on its own high-rise ambitions, towers elsewhere continue to soar skyward. Basel and Dübendorf are engaged in a quiet competition for Switzerland’s most spectacular skyline. One city is banking on pharmaceutical capital and star architects,

A good energy label should protect against the summer heat, not give in to it. More and more residents of Minergie buildings are complaining that their apartments heat up to 28 to 29 degrees despite strict standards. The Minergie Association is now responding by considering a possible tightening of

Sometimes, just a few extra words in a piece of legislation are enough to overturn the status quo. That’s exactly what’s happening now at Swiss Post, where a minor revision to the Postal Act could have a major impact. The very idea of having your own mailbox on your front doorstep is suddenly

Cranes are once again a common sight on Swiss construction sites. Last year, the number of new apartments approved was the highest it has been in eight years. Anyone hoping for lower rents is likely to be disappointed. The construction boom is simply not enough to meet the pent-up

Anyone who digs a tunnel ends up producing millions of metric tons of soil and rock, most of which has, until now, ended up unused in landfills. A new research project at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences aims to change exactly that and use this excavated material to produce a

Sustainable construction is often seen as an expensive luxury rather than a smart investment. A new study using the Empa and Eawag campus parking garage as an example shows the opposite. Investing in flexibility today saves millions tomorrow. The proof lies in an unassuming wooden building in

A planning application has been submitted for 24 barrier-free flats for people aged 60 and over on Landstrasse in Lengnau. The project, led by the Mühlihalde co-operative, aims to bridge the gap between living at home and moving into a care home at a later stage; however, the start date for

On 27 September 2026, Winterthur will vote on a proposal to allocate 35.13 million Swiss francs for new end-stand stands and an operations building at the Schützenwiese. The development is intended to modernise the outdated infrastructure by 2029, increase capacity and ensure that matches can

The refurbishment and extension of the Pretorium in Bellinzona are taking longer than planned. Instead of autumn 2026, the building – which will house judicial and police services – is now due to be handed over in spring 2027. The canton attributes the delay to appeals lodged during the

Ten objections are holding up the preventive resettlement project in Brienz/Brinzauls. However, the municipality of Albula/Alvra only gave its clear approval for the loan of 82.56 million Swiss francs on 10 July 2026. For property owners, this means that not only the financing but also the

Following the ‘yes’ vote at the ballot box, the development plan for the Metalli site in Zug has come through the public consultation period without any objections. This means that development of the site can now proceed. The next concrete step will be an architectural competition for the

Construction of a mixed-use residential and commercial building is set to begin in early August on the site of the former EPA car park in Grenchen. The plans include a new bank branch on the ground floor, 28 rental flats on the upper floors, and occupancy is expected around two years after

On Lägernstrasse in Dietikon, postwar buildings that have long outlived their usefulness are being demolished. In their place, a new urban neighborhood is taking shape—one that not only provides housing but also showcases what urban densification can look like in the Limmat Valley. It features

In the Tscharnergut neighbourhood of Bern and in other residential areas, heritage conservation and housing regeneration are at loggerheads. Whilst property owners and housing cooperatives are pushing for replacement buildings, objections are dragging proceedings out for years, thereby exacerbating

At the Messeplatz in Basel, the start of construction on the Rosentalturm has been postponed once again. Demolition of the existing exhibition centre car park is now set to begin only after the Autumn Fair and the Baloise Session, whilst the building permit from the Canton of Basel-Stadt is still

A concrete building project has been proposed for the Gimenen municipal site in Zug for the first time. Plans include widening Gimenenstrasse and constructing a new bus turning loop. However, there is still no legal basis under planning law for the affordable housing development that has been under

In Zurich, 18.4 per cent of tenants in self-supporting council flats exceed the income thresholds. This affects around 1,400 out of approximately 7,700 flats. The city does not yet know which households are affected, as the figures are calculated anonymously. Individual checks are not planned until

Arrive, transfer, leave. For decades, the Dietikon train station was a place for people to pass through quickly. Now, SBB and the city are joining forces to tackle a project that’s long been overdue. A sprawling transit hub is being transformed into an urban gateway to the city, featuring a new

In Baden, a housing project run by the municipal housing foundation is coming under pressure because the town council wants to list the old metalworks in the Upper Town. This brings housing development and heritage conservation into direct conflict at a small but politically sensitive

The National Council and the Council of States have secured the key federal instruments for social housing construction until the early 2030s. CHF 150 million has been approved for the Fonds de Roulement, along with guarantees totalling CHF 1.92 billion for EGW

Construction investment in Switzerland rose by 3.5 per cent in 2025. According to provisional figures, the bulk of the increase was attributable to additional construction activity. The public sector, in particular, increased its spending significantly, thereby boosting both building construction

Six smaller properties owned by the Reformed Church Parish of Zurich are to be leased under building rights. The parish is seeking organizations that will create additional housing on the sites at reasonable costs, while existing leases will continue for the time