Dear Readers,
Please consider whether sprawl is a generic global phenomenon or a local/regional phenomena with unique metrics and meanings.
Switzerland’s population has been growing at slightly more than one per cent a year and at the end of 2010 was just shy of eight million. But this growth is not the main reason for the urban sprawl.
Over a ten-year period starting in the mid-1980s, the amount of land built over rose by more than 13 per cent, while the population only grew by about nine per cent.
With national coordination, a series of local and regional studies are underway to define Swiss variety of urban sprawl and develop an approach to resolve it while preserving their landscape heritage. The studies are divided amongst three modules: 1.Space, 2.Infrastructure and 3.Materials and Energy.
A good English summary can be found at:
The Swiss website with all details and contacts in English can be found at:
Edward Flaherty
PS Listen to alphorns playing ‘Ranz des vaches’ while reading the above. 🙂 ‘Ranz des vaches’ embodies the landscape heritage the Swiss are eager to protect.
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