Development of the region

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Cities, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 97-105, 1995

0264-2751(95)00029-1

Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in G r e a t Britain

Development of the region The case of Ziirich Nord

Bruno Widmer Baslerstrasse 81, 8048 Ziirich, Switzerland

The greater city-region of Ziirich is expanding, bringing with it attendant problems of pollution and congestion. Dispersing new developments will only lead to increased private transport usage so development should take place within the region served by the existing public transport network. The article focuses on the Glattal region of northern Ziirich (Figure 1) pointing out problems (such as high pollution levels and lack of identity caused by suburbanization) and suggesting roles for planning within the canton of Ziirich.

The greater city-region of Ziirich has become a metropolis for economic functions, research and technology. Similar developments also are taking place in other international economic centres. This economic power also creates strong competition in which trade and dwelling are displaced and enterprises specialized in production are replaced by those of the tertiary sector (insurance, financial institutes, etc). While competition is taking place, discussions about the consequences of this development and its effect on the environment have become very important and public anxiety is growing. However, researches in connection with the cleanair campaign of the canton of Ziirich have shown that with the proposed actions of the campaign the demanded limiting values cannot be fulfilled. This fact essentially concerns the whole cityregion of Ziirich and from this point of view all new constructions in the region theoretically should be prohibited. As a consequence they would be transferred to locations where there is relatively little pollution. However, it is precisely these locations which are not sufficiently opened up by public transport, so relocation would effect a promotion of the individual traffic and the investment in public transport (regional railway system with qualities of an underground), carried out in the 1980s would have been fruitless. On the one hand, restriction of development would probably achieve the objectives of the cleanair campaign, on the other hand further suburbanization would lead to an increasing pollution of a greater area.

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After considering carefully this contradiction one can proceed on the assumption that: • it is not efficient to restrict growth in the cityregion of Z/irich; and • considering the existing pollution, the only developments that have the right to be supported are those designed specially to create very little pollution. One has to attach particular importance to ecologi97

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Figure2 Comparison of area of London and Ztirich cally advanced constructions and a development of well defined central areas and locations opened up by public transport.

'Central areas' of the city-region and international competition If one compares 'central areas' of the greater cityregion of Ziirich with Paris, London or Frankfurt 98

one can notice that everywhere efforts are made to achieve sustainable city development. Concerning the European competition between regions it seems that the concerns of urban design are import because: • projects have to fit within the public and private transport framework; • attractive and identity-supporting projects (construction, landscape architecture, city structures) will be realized. Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

Development of the region: B Widmer

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It looks as though the quality of the city-region as a whole has influence on the attraction of the 'central areas'. The development of a very well connected and livable city and village structure has to be harmonized with the task of forming a 'city' out of them with new (spatial) structures. The European comparison shows that 'central areas' are located very centrally and contain great potential for growth. It is very important to organize the common appearance of the greater city-region on the stage of international competition between the regions. Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

T h e city in t h e G l a t t a h its ' c e n t r a l a r e a s ' and public transport system In the northern part of Ztirich the individual communities are merging into one another and a structure of different settlements is cl~anging into a 'city in the Glattal' with approximately 136 000 citizens and 115 000 places of employment. This new 'city' also includes parts of the city of Ztirich and is of the order of Basel or Geneva. It consists of Orlikon and Schwammendingen (city of Ziirich) and the communities of Kloten (airport), Opfikon, Wallisellen 99

Development o f the region: B Widmer

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generalview 1:100"000 Figure 4 General view of Ziirich-Nord with its central areas and public traffic system

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and Diibendorf (military airport). These four communities are actually just a few members of the whole city-region (Zfircher Planungsgruppe Glattal, ZPG). They have united in a smaller group to try to solve common problems. And obviously borders within the city-region are becoming questionable (Figure 3). The various qualities of the 'city in the Glattal' make it possible that more enterprises will choose this area as their location and thereby have an impact on dwellings too. 100

Concerning the probability of growth, no prognosis is possible. Growth will depend on the development of Switzerland within Europe whether it is weak or strong. Nevertheless, one has to work out a hypothesis of growth as working basis for infrastructures and city planning, although the assumption can turn out to be wrong. The city-region covers extensive reserves of free surface, which makes it impossible to guide growth by traditional measures of zoning. Thereby it is necessary to plan an insecure development and to lead the growth, preferably to suitable areas which can be opened up easily by public transport (Figure 4). The planning strategy to realize this aim can be called 'provision planning', which means that, independently of growth, the planning of highly qualified areas has to be brought to a certain level. The task is to elaborate a sketch of the desired development, thereby breaking the negative trends. Therefore a very well-defined framework of rules has to be worked out which can support constructions of high quality within those areas. For this purpose numerous hindrances have to be removed by local planning actions. This is necessary in order to be able to react appropriately to different kinds of development. A general qualification of different central areas in the city-region shows that there are many locations which are fit for qualified and economically viable development. Such a qualification is subjective but in the end all economic qualifications are subjective and one is reminded of the 'Moody's', the banking rating system which obtains its importance Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

Development of the region: B Widmer

Figure 6 Mono-quantity vs vario-quality (artist: Armand, Fondation Cartier)

because the majority of decision makers concur with its verdicts because of their plausibility. As far as traffic is concerned, studies have shown that during rush hour individual traffic is stretching the capacity of the roads. So the increase in traffic because of city development has to be absorbed fully through public traffic systems. However, the existing regional railway system reaches the central areas insufficiently. To repair this deficiency the cantonal measures have provided a line for a public traffic infrastructure in addition to the existing one starting from the airport (Kloten) to (3rlikon (Ziirich) and Dtibendorf (military airport). It is very likely that the city-region Glattal is becoming a city, but it will be formed out of individual and different villages and communities. This future structure is the unknown quality of the 'city in the Glattal'. Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

Problems of the city-region The f u n d a m e n t a l problems of the city-region 'Zfirich-Nord' are the lack of balance between the structure of utilization, city development, road structure and landscape: • There is limited space but also extensive needs, especially concerning traffic. In general there are several traffic obstacles in the city-region which also affect the roads leading to the central industrial areas. One can already predict traffic jams in future. It is unlikely that the existing public transport system (railways, trams, buses) will be able to lead to a solution of this problem. • Pollution has reached a high level. Pollution in the city-region has passed the limits set by the clean-air campaign and it most probably will not be possible to achieve these targets if growth and 101

Development of the region: B Widmer

l er zones designed by the different communities ensured that the regional green open spaces were maintained, but could not prevent strong interurban relationships. The result of this process has been a loss of green open space and a defined city structure. Changes in settlement structures and central areas in the 'post-modern epoch' can be supported by economic and sociocultural conditions:

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• Modification of the 'fordism' which is based on mass production and mass consumption: increased flexibility of production as a reaction to segmentation economies; fundamental changes in production process because of new technologies; internationalization of finances, concentration on few exchanges and increasing competition between cities for the allocation of capital; reduction of the number of workers in favour of employees; general diminution of household members and superannuation. • Influence of postmodern culture: the new aesthetic in everyday life.

Spatial development in the canton of Ziirich

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Perspective of inhabitants, places of employment and commuters in the ZPG

construction in the industrial areas carries on increasing as quickly as at present. • In comparison to the surplus of land devoted to employment, there is a shortage of dwellings. The surplus of places of employment causes unnecessary traffic movement because of the distance between lodgings and work places, leading to an increase in pollution. • Growing settlement structures and infrastructure have reduced recreation areas and interrupted the connections between the different green areas. • There are no perceptible city structures. Because of existing demand the cost of land is high and therefore it can be predicted that a high density of construction will be realized. There is a danger that the central industrial areas will be built over in the same way as in the past. Development of these areas was based only on technical considerations. The concerns of urbanism were neglected completely (urban design and landscaping). Buf102

The centres along the regional railway system in the greater city-region of Ztirich are likely to experience growth in both housing and work. Within the Europe of the regions the greater city-region shall become 'the gateway to Switzerland'. The enterprise 'urban development Ziirich' should concentrate on the following guidelines: the usefulness of future settlement structure has to be guaranteed; the development of settlement structures has to be adjusted to public traffic (the regional traffic system is the backbone of settlement growth); coherent spaces of nature have to be actively supported. The outline of the cantonal planning policy also designates 'central (dynamic) areas of cantonal importance' (Figures 9 and 10) and a line of an additional regional public traffic system.

Regional planning policy and spatial development Fundamentally, the city-region has to be developed with close links between cantonal, regional and local levels, so that the decisions made are based on a general acceptance. Planning policy at regional and local level is based on two aspects: • F r a m e w o r k o f orientation. These are guidelines to

work out common problems and find a general consensus about focal points of investment and questions concerning zones of transition between communities. • G u i d e - p l a n n i n g p o l i c y . This has r e g u l a t o r y aspects: regional and local planning policy deCities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

Development of the region. B Widmer

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Figure 9 Three of the eleven 'central areas' of cantonal importance within Z/irich-Nord Key: 3 - Z~rich Oerlikon and Opfikon-Oberhauserriet; 4-Kloten (airport) and Opfikon; 5 - Wallisellen (central station and shopping centre) monstrating the actual situation; what has to be done and the regulations, which will be authorized by the government of the canton of Ziirich and problem-solving aspects (a plan of coordination and measures demonstrating conflicts, priorities and measures concerning the different levels making it possible to connect the different planning policies and to include important subjectmatter which cannot be integrated in the regulation plan). Considering the development of 'the city in the Glattal' it is important to distinguish between two types of area.

Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

'Steady areas' (dwelling~tradesettlements) The 'steady areas' are more or less overbuilt dwelling areas with low density. They are important as they have potential for long-term development. However, the disadvantage of these reserves is the impossibility of absorbing short-term demands. Only a qualified raised density with the consideration of green areas and the recognition of the slow speed of this process is possible.

'Dynamic (central) areas' Centres of regional local importance are both very important as a framework of village nuclei contribut103

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accelerate the development process, the need to incorporate social and environmental considerations into planning and decision-making, and the attempt to re-zone the site by a political referendum, the property owners formed a joint interest group in close cooperation with the planners and the local authority and were able to produce an innovative and creative urban development concept. While safeguarding the economic interests of the landholders, a plan was developed which reconciles the disparate demands of development, social needs and the environment, promotes effective land-use planning, orderly urbanization and upgrades the quality of life of future employees and residents of Oberhauserriet.

Figure 10 Additional public traffic system in ZtirichNord in the Cantonal Planning Policy ing diversity and the identification of its inhabitants in a suburbanized region. As traditional centres they are more or less overbuilt and have few reserves for further constructions. However, corresponding to the complex requirements of these areas future projects need well-grounded planning advances. The regional centres of Orlikon (city of Ztirich), Kloten and Dtibendorf (region) are in a process of growth which can be seen by new and increased shopping possibilities. The local centres are important because they stamp the image of the region as well - especially as a framework of historical centres. One of possible improvements which can be supported and realized by local authorities is the embellishment of historical and frequently-used inner streets to make the centres more lively. The second category of 'dynamic areas' includes focal points of growth in central locations. This category includes conglomerations of office buildings in industrial areas which were displaced out of Ztirich. Their function is the absorption of shortterm developments and they are characterized by a lack of inhabitants and defined spatial structure. Another disadvantage is the overload of the roads, which will increase by further construction destroying the image of the region. The opening up of these areas by public transport has to be improved. At the same time, the diversity of use and the urban design have to be improved. Without enforcement of planning policy, especially concerning the focal points, it cannot be out of the question that there could be grave problems ahead for these central areas.

Three representative plans at different levels of action (Figure 11) City of Opfikon: structure plan for Oberhauserriet To overcome the pressures of time, the demand to 104

City of Opfikon- 'making a new street' Opfikon is a centre of local importance and, as already mentioned, these centres stamp the identity of the region. Along the Schaffhauserstrasse building structures are being reviewed and it is the aim of the local authority that this desired and necessary renewal takes place within an innovative urban development process. For the focal point of the Schaffhauserstrasse therefore an urban design concept has been established as basis for judging building applications and planning projects. Thus the landholders obtain the possibility of participating actively in the development of the 'Schaffhauserstrasse'.

City of Kloten: 'Balsberg'- sketch of a desired development The identity of this area is established very much by the airport and adjacent hotels. Air and noise pollution from roads, the airport and suburbanization affect this area very much. On the other hand it has been revitalized by a regional traffic system which was built in the 1980s. Within the present spatial structure the railway station 'Balsberg' is a junction between two similarly structured areas which are divided by the highway. The aim of the proposed sketch is the revitalization of the whole area by making the railway station the 'backbone' to which all buildings will be connected, with a residential zone adjacent to it.

Acknowledgment The examples of planning mentioned in this case study are the work of Martin Steiger and Lucius Huber, and are the results of coordination of individual projects which have been brought together. The author actively participated in this process, and worked on aspects of urban design and city planning. Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

Development o f the region: B Widmer

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Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2

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