Joint development for the Silbern working area
In Dietikon, various interest groups have formed a joint alliance called Zukunft Silbern (Future Silbern). In future, the economy, mobility, environment and nature in the Silbern municipal area will no longer be considered in isolation, but will be planned and managed jointly.
According to a statement issued on 14 January 2026, representatives from politics, business, Regiowerk and nature conservation launched the Zukunft Silbern alliance. Together, the alliance aims to develop the Silbern area into a sustainable, easily accessible and ecologically responsible business location.
The conceptual basis for this innovative cooperation was developed over two years by the interest groups Regiowerk fürs Limmattal (Limeco),Natur- und Vogelschutzverein Dietikon, IG Silbern, the city of Dietikon and the canton of Zurich in a mediation process led by private lecturer Dr Joris Van Wezemael. He is an architectural sociologist and teaches at the Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. His scientific contributions have helped shape new concepts for collective decision-making in spatial planning and urban development.
Before the alliance was founded, the various interest groups agreed in their analysis: the Silbern area is an important location for production, trade and shopping. However, in terms of urban development and urban space, it has hardly developed for many years and has fallen short of its potential. Now the alliance wants to develop the area in such a way that companies find attractive conditions, accessibility is improved and, at the same time, nature and living spaces are strengthened.
According to the information provided, the partners developed a better understanding of each other and built mutual respect in the process of establishing the Zukunft Silbern alliance. “This,” the statement says, “has created an important foundation for successfully implementing projects and advancing Silbern as a whole.”