Confederation provides cantons with work assistance on climate protection
The Federal Office for Spatial Development has developed a working aid for the design of cantonal structure plans. It is intended to be useful for the cantons in dealing with climate change. Good examples of anchoring climate protection in spatial development are presented.
The Federal Office for Spatial Development ( ARE ) wants to support the cantons in countering the spatial causes and effects of climate change, explains the ARE in a statement . It has created a working aid for the cantonal structure plans. With these structural plans, which are binding for all authorities, the cantons control their spatial development.
The working aid developed by the ARE is intended to supplement the existing guidelines for cantonal structural planning. It offers good and realizable practical examples of how spatial planning can meet the challenges of climate change. Both measures for climate protection and measures for adapting to climate change are discussed.
As an example of a climate protection measure, the ARE cites the promotion of walking and cycling as anchored in the canton of Geneva’s structure plan. This and “the planning principle of short distances” are “important spatial planning levers for climate protection”.
When it comes to adapting to climate change, the ARE cites an example from the canton of Schaffhausen. In his structure plan, he stipulated that areas in the settlement area should not be sealed if possible, so that the water can seep away and contribute to the formation of new groundwater reserves.