
Bern is slowing down, Lucerne is building differently
Lucerne has made its decision—and it was a clear one. On June 14, 2026, the city’s residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of both housing proposals. A right of first refusal and a more active land policy are intended to increase the share of affordable housing more quickly. But policymakers

The market is sending out an SOS
The German real estate market isn't sending a faint signal—it's sending a loud one. Surveys, indices, and cancellation rates all point in the same direction: sentiment is shifting. This time, it’s hitting residential construction the hardest. Fears of regulation, a smoldering conflict in the

Limmattal. Room for more.
With a refined strategy, concrete location development projects, and a new brand identity, Limmatstadt AG is positioning itself as a driving force in a strong region. The Limmat Valley is leveraging its dynamic location between Zurich and Baden to further raise its profile as an innovative business

Growth without stagnation. The new Limmat Valley takes shape
An economic area has grown up between Zurich and Baden that was long considered a transit zone. Today, the Limmat Valley has around 110,000 inhabitants and around 70,000 jobs. It is densifying, rebuilding and reorganizing its traffic. Anyone who still describes the Limmat Valley today as a

Transport and nature project sustainably enhances urban area
STRABAG is modernising a 700-metre stretch along the Mühletychbach stream between the cantonal school and the swimming pool in Zofingen with water, road and utility line construction work. Once construction is complete in October 2026, the watercourse should return to its natural

Former educational site is being sustainably transformed for new use
Eicher pauli AG has developed the energy and building technology concept for the TecLab in Burgdorf. The education and innovation centre is moving into the former premises of the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The building must first be refurbished in accordance with the Minergie Eco

New recycling centre to strengthen the circular economy in the city
Winterthur City Council wants to set up a new recycling centre for the acceptance of recyclable materials from private households by 2028 in addition to the waste incineration plant. It has approved a loan of CHF 500,000 for this purpose. Maag Recycling AG will take over the

Preliminary project for Thun railway station district is launched
As part of the public consultation process, around 80 submissions were received from interested parties regarding the municipal area development plan for the Thun railway station district. The preliminary project is now being launched. The go-ahead for the first stage should be given by 2032 at the

Large-scale battery storage to strengthen grid stability and the energy transition
BKW AG has concluded an agreement in principle with Swissgrid for a grid connection capacity of 400 megawatts for its planned large-scale battery plant in Mühleberg. The plant on the site of the decommissioned nuclear power plant is scheduled to go into operation in

An expansion project strengthens Switzerland’s presence in the European market
The Westfalen Group is starting work on the expansion of its filling plant in Eiken, in the canton of Aargau. This is expected to double capacity in the industrial gases business. The investment amounts to tens of millions of Swiss

Lucerne is driving forward its district heating network using energy from the lake
The city of Lucerne and the energy supplier ewl have signed a concession agreement to expand a district heating network. The aim is to boost the city’s heat supply using renewable energy from Lake Lucerne. Lucerne aims to use only renewable energy for heating by

From the factory site to the moated castle address
At Limmatspitz in Gebenstorf, the former BAG industrial site is being transformed into a new neighborhood featuring approximately 200 apartments, commercial spaces, and a canal promenade. Up to 150 million Swiss francs are being invested, a large portion of which comes from second-pillar pension

Belle Époque back on Lake Maggiore
The Grand Hotel Locarno has been crumbling away for almost 20 years. Once a symbol of glamorous tourism on Lake Maggiore, then empty and forgotten for years. Now the Artioli family, together with the Artisa Group, Arabella Hospitality and Marriott, is taking decisive action. The listed building is

Limmattal in the location poker game
Hitachi Energy is presenting the Limmat Valley with a choice of direction. A high-tech campus is to be built on a greenfield site in Wettingen, with up to 3,000 jobs and a major boost for location policy. At the same time, high-quality cultivated land is up for grabs, the settlement separation belt

How universities plan the construction site of the future
The HWZ in Zurich and Mainz University of Applied Sciences are joining forces to make the construction industry more digitally fit. The focus is on new study and further education courses at the interface of real estate, data and the built environment. This will give companies better access to

A new hub brings together research, innovation and the world of work
MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme has opened its new Swiss headquarters in Lucerne. The pharmaceutical company has invested 60 million Swiss francs in the site, which will employ 750 people. Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Cantonal Councillor Reto Wyss attended the opening

Study warns of new price dynamics on the housing market
Rental price momentum on the Swiss residential property market is likely to pick up again after a relative lull due to a shortage of supply, high demand and rising construction costs. Nevertheless, construction activity remains low due to extensive regulations, according to a study by the

New retirement centre combines living, care and socialising
With the Wohnen am Stadtpark project, a new retirement centre with 60 retirement flats and 28 care beds is being built in Schlieren. Maneth stiefel ag is responsible for the electrical systems, building automation and specialist construction

New location combines logistics and production in one place
The Léguriviera Group is to consolidate its activities in the canton of Vaud at a new site in Vernand above Lausanne. The food logistics company aims to make its processes more efficient and reduce the number of transports. The 18,000 square metre site is scheduled to open in

Study sees regulation as a barrier to suitable housing
According to Fürschi Züri, ensuring that housing in Zurich remains affordable and of high quality requires the development of residential areas in line with demand and a significant increase in construction activity. Furthermore, the housing market should not be subject to stricter regulation,

Switzerland regulates data centers
Data centers are the invisible infrastructure of the digital economy. They are booming in Switzerland, but their hunger for electricity, water and building land is growing faster than regulation. Schaffhausen is now one of the first cantons to draw clear boundaries. And it is unlikely to be the

What will become of Basel’s largest site?
In the middle of Basel lies a derelict industrial area of almost 30 hectares, directly between the Rhine and the meadow. It is the city's largest transformation site and a political hotspot. On June 14, 2026, Basel voters will decide what will become of it. A new district with thousands of

Wil plans its future
The town of Wil in the canton of St. Gallen is planning the biggest urban planning relaunch ever. On May 29, 2026, around 60 representatives from districts, businesses, the real estate sector, politics and administration gathered in the town hall for the fourth local planning conference. The

Living in Ticino requires foresight
The housing problem in Ticino is not just about rents or the number of vacant apartments. It is about quality, accessibility, social cohesion, spatial development and the demographic future. Monique Bosco-von Allmen calls for the topic of housing to be considered in a broader and more political


A campus for the psychiatry of tomorrow for 330 million
For over 150 years, the Burghölzli in Zurich has stood for top-quality psychiatric care. Now the Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich (PUK) is planning its biggest new building project to date. Modern new buildings are being constructed at the Lengg site at a cost of around 330 million Swiss

The real cause of the housing shortage
The housing shortage in Switzerland is real. The vacancy rate is a meagre 1 percent and rents have risen by 37 percent since 2002. In the current referendum campaign on the 10 million initiative, the finger is clearly pointing in one direction: immigration. But those who are only looking for

AI is changing where most construction is taking place
The construction industry is one of the most digitized industries in Switzerland. At the same time, it is one of the least digitized industries in the world. This is exactly what is changing. Artificial intelligence is making inroads, not via robotic arms, but via planning, monitoring and data

Unloved child: structured commissioning as a success factor
The handover of a building to the user is considered a critical bottleneck in the real estate life cycle. Often underestimated, the quality of commissioning has a significant influence on potential follow-up costs, operational stability and the satisfaction of all

Baden is promoting the removal of unnecessary asphalt from paved areas
Together with the Asphaltknackerinnen and Mobiliar, Baden is supporting private individuals, building cooperatives and SMEs who wish to remove paving from sealed surfaces. The ‘sponge city’ concept is also intended to create more green spaces, enhance the quality of life and boost