St. Gallen modern urban development with double railway station
With the planned merger of the Bruggen and Haggen railway stations, the city and canton of St. Gallen, together with SBB and SOB, are providing significant impetus for the urban transformation on the western edge of the city. Around the future double station, a model is being created that is aimed at growth, mixing and better connections.
The development model was developed jointly by urban planning, landowners and the neighbourhood association in a broad, cooperative process. Four workshops between June 2024 and May 2025 ensured broad participation and made it possible to identify specific opportunities for the nine sub-areas.
Potential and spatial focus
The structure plan identifies nine sub-areas, from Straubenzellstrasse to Debrunner Ost, which are to be developed individually and with a mix of uses. The area offers additional floor space potential of around 80,000 m², which can be used specifically for housing and workplaces. Better links between the neighbourhoods, more green and open spaces and new public squares are planned.
Railway station as a driver of urban development
The future relocation of Bruggen railway station to the east and its merger with Haggen railway station are one of the reasons for the project. They eliminate existing barriers and make large-scale accessibility possible. The planned passerelle creates new path connections and improves the integration of neighbouring districts such as Lerchenfeld. The railway station project influences the ongoing local planning revision and serves as a lever for sustainable, urban densification.
Future prospects and planning security
The development model provides the city and landowners with binding guidance for upcoming implementation projects in individual areas for the first time. The next steps concern the project planning for the railway station, including the Passerelle, and the transfer of the findings to the overall revision of local planning.
Thanks to forward-looking planning and an integrative project structure, the Bruggen-Haggen area is on the verge of becoming an urban, mixed-use district with a high quality of life, better accessibility and targeted growth in area.