immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Raumplanung

  • Luucy introduces new version of its 3D programme for planners

    Luucy introduces new version of its 3D programme for planners

    Luucy AG, with locations in Lucerne and Schlieren, has launched a new generation of its platform of the same name. Luucy 2.6 is now also available in French, the young company informs in a corresponding press release. In addition, the new version features expanded keyboard navigation and simpler control. In addition, relevant data sets for spatial and real estate development are made available. Luucy kicks off with relevant data sets from the Canton of Lucerne.

    With the Luucy platform, real estate developments can be modelled, analysed, visualised and communicated by means of a digital twin. In version 2.6, the roof pitch can now be freely set. A new function also makes navigation possible in the underground levels of buildings.

    The 3D models created with the help of Luucy are used to make development plans clear for experts and the interested public. They go into such detail that the shadows cast by the buildings can be depicted. Location promoter Limmatstadt AG has also already presented such a digital 3D model of the Limmat Valley. This makes it possible to experience the region and its urban development projects virtually.

  • EPFL develops concept for city-river balance on the Rhône

    EPFL develops concept for city-river balance on the Rhône

    The redevelopment of brownfield sites along the Rhône should balance the needs and constraints of a city and its river. Based on this guideline, a group of architects from the Laboratory for Architecture and Sustainable Technologies at the EPFL has developed a corresponding handbook for those with political responsibility.

    According to a press release, the group selected two locations in Switzerland, Sion VS and Geneva, and two in France, Givors and Avignon, for their study. For each district, they developed three customised and architecturally different visions. In total, the team identified more than 1400 neighbourhoods in transition along the Rhône. It sees enormous potential in this for the development of derelict areas that were abandoned by companies, for example, when they abandoned the waterways.

    The study did not look at urban areas as a whole, as is usually the case. “Our approach is different because we tackle urban development and planning issues on a smaller scale and focus on individual river neighbourhoods,” lab and study leader Emmanuel Rey is quoted as saying. “Our tool provides a more detailed, entirely local picture of what the river can do and how it interacts with the city,” Rey says. “In that sense, it’s an argument against traditional, generic planning.”

    This new assessment method with its 18 indicators was applied as an example to one of the case studies, the La Jonction neighbourhood in Geneva. For example, the indicator for the energy transition shows whether a particular vision is in line with the canton’s overall strategy. At the city level, it can be used to evaluate plans for shuttles, pedestrian bridges or other aspects of river transport. And at the neighbourhood level, for example, it provides information on whether river water could be used to heat or cool buildings.

  • The winning project for the Reussbühl West district has been chosen

    The winning project for the Reussbühl West district has been chosen

    Office of Living Things and Büro Dudler for space and traffic planning.

    The 27’000 square meters

    The assessment committee for the study contract for the redesign of the CKW site in Reussbühl, which is now used for commercial and industrial purposes, unanimously decided in favor of the “Habitat – Quartier im Hain” project. It was developed by the Zurich architects Salewski Nater Kretz in collaboration with the Office of Living Things and the Dudler office for space and traffic planning.

    According to a CKW press release , the 27,000 square meter area is to be “transformed into an attractive, lively and distinctive city quarter”. The energy service provider will give up its location there “in a few years”. In the call for tenders, requirements were made with regard to heat generation and rainwater management. In addition, at least half of the CKW shed hall, a former silk mill, was to be retained. Residential buildings will primarily be built on the remaining area.

    The winning project “convinces in the reinterpretation and further development of the historical landscape”, which was once characterized by floodplains and water-using industry. The design based on the so-called sponge city principle “cleverly” incorporates these historical references. This project will be further developed in the coming months and will then form the basis for the Reussbühl West development plan. The designs of all planning teams are on display at CKW in Rathausen from June 21st to July 4th.

  • Forum develops scenarios for the Papierwerd area

    Forum develops scenarios for the Papierwerd area

    The Paperwerd Forum was launched on April 11 under the direction of the Office for Urban Development. Here, 55 experts from various disciplines, representatives of politics, clubs, organizations and associations as well as the residents are to work out “the basics for the future of the Papierwerd area”, writes the building department of the city of Zurich in a statement . “We would like to have a broad debate with the interest groups and the population about the possible scenarios for the Papierwerd area,” Corine Mauch, Mayor of Zurich, is quoted there as saying. The scenarios range from preservation to partial preservation and demolition to new construction.

    The results of the dialogue process should form the basis for the city council’s strategy for the development of the area. The handling of the provisional globe will also be discussed, according to the statement. “Even if the Globus provisional is not listed as a historic monument, the building is definitely relevant in terms of architecture, urban planning and social history,” André Odermatt, head of the building department, is quoted as saying.

    The Papierwerd area is part of the area around the main station and the Central. For this, the civil engineering office creates a master plan as a superordinate consideration. Richard Wolff, Head of the Civil Engineering and Waste Management Department, explains that it will be “incorporated into the strategic process for the Papierwerd site”, but will not anticipate it.

  • Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    The Office for Spatial Development of the Canton of Zurich has developed a shop for geodata . According to a press release , users receive free access to spatial data in the canton of Zurich and can order them at the touch of a button.

    With the new shop solution, use-restricted, i.e. non-open data is now also being added. Previously, cantonal geodata sets were available to users free of charge as open authority data via the GIS browser maps.zh.ch or a geoservice and could only be called up manually.

    A total of over 500 products from the geographic information system can be viewed and ordered in the geodata shop, including data on buildings, air, noise and climate. Later, data on buildings and land, so-called object data from the ObjektwesenZH platform, will also be added.

  • Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    On March 21 at the Expo in Dubai , the Swiss pavilion brought together experts from universities in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, private companies and public actors under the motto “Smart Connected Cities”. It is about intelligent solutions for the management of water, mobility and other challenges in cities that are becoming increasingly dense. Some of these projects have already been implemented in Switzerland and could be imitated in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.

    The event was organized by the University of Applied Sciences in Western Switzerland ( HES-SO ). It is the Leading House MENA officially commissioned by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation . Its goal is to promote scientific cooperation between Switzerland and the countries of the MENA region.

    During implementation, the HES-SO worked together with Swissnex , the Swiss Embassy in the UAE and the Swiss Business Hub Middle East . “International cross-technology cooperation that offers networked solutions for the exponentially growing demand of a growing population and the associated densification of living spaces are the only way to master the challenges,” says Dante Larini, project manager of Swissnex in the Swiss pavilion, in a press release quoted. “The event showed us how much and how seamlessly technology can transform the way cities are managed and the daily lives of their residents.”

    Josef Spillner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) gave a keynote speech on the opportunities and risks of cyber-physical spaces. The cooperation between the ZHAW and the private university of the Emirate of Sharjah ( Sharjah University ) was also presented at the event.

  • Location promotion in Switzerland – hybrid conference and awards

    Location promotion in Switzerland – hybrid conference and awards

    With the “SVSM Dialogue” series of events, the Swiss Association for Location Management SVSM imparts specialist knowledge and connects location managers, business developers, real estate experts, spatial planners and other interested parties. At the upcoming spring event, which will take place on March 31, 2022 from 3 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., practical presentations from Upper Valais, the city of Baden and the Wil region will provide valuable technical input for day-to-day work. At the “SVSM Dialogue on Location Management”, three exciting speakers will use case studies to show practical solutions and strategies and discuss current challenges: Thomas Lütolf, Head of Location Promotion City of Baden, will present the regional economic vision of the Baden North district. Anne Rombach-Jung, managing director of REGIO WIL, talks about the future of WILWEST and Esther Schlumpf, project manager at the Upper Valais regional and economic center, deals with the question of whether governance can be a success factor for regional development.

    Be there – on site or via live streaming
    The “SVSM Dialogue Site Management” is held as a hybrid event: The participants either attend the event on site in the unique ambience of the garden hall of the Villa Boveri in Baden or join the event virtually – the entire event is streamed live and offers thanks to a special Event platform also gives virtual participants the opportunity to interact. After registering online, all participants will receive a personal participation link with which they can log into the event via a browser. The event is free for members of the SVSM. Non-members pay a fee of CHF 50. If a membership is registered during or after the event, this amount will be refunded.

    Registration and detailed program:
     https://svsm-standortmanagement.ch/anlaesse

    SVSM Awards for innovative projects
    In addition to the hybrid specialist conferences, the “SVSM Awards” are another focus of the SVSM. These will be awarded again in 2022 after a two-year break due to the pandemic. The awards are aimed at small and large projects – from local to national. The “SVSM Awards” want to make the variety and quality as well as the innovative strength of projects from all over the country visible and thus strengthen the position of the corresponding organizations and initiatives. The “SVSM Awards” are both an incentive and a reward for those involved in the area of location and business development. Projects with a particularly high degree of innovative strength are awarded. Possible examples are location strategies, area developments and corresponding positioning, projects to promote innovation and business clusters, projects to establish or strengthen location brands, promotional activities and campaigns, events that strengthen a location, or organizational development and cooperation models. Applications for the awards are made using an online form. A jury of experts selects the nominated projects from all submissions. The nominees then have the opportunity to present their project to the jury in a virtual session. The announcement of the winning projects and the presentation of the awards will take place as part of the “SVSM Dialogue Economic Promotion” on November 2, 2022.

    Further information and online application:
     https://svsm-standortmanagement.ch/awards

    The umbrella organization for location promotions
    The Swiss Association for Location Management SVSM is a professional association founded in 1998. It enables the interdisciplinary exchange of information and experience, links teaching, research and practice, promotes professionalization in site management and is the contact for questions about site management. The SVSM currently has around 80 members from the areas of location and business development, c, real estate as well as training and further education. Twice a year, the SVSM organizes the hybrid conference “SVSM Dialog”; in spring with a focus on topics related to location promotion, in autumn with a focus on economic development. After a break due to the pandemic, the trade association is again presenting the “SVSM Awards” this year for innovative projects in the area of location management and business development. At the beginning of October, the SVSM – also after a two-year break – once again organizes the popular guided visit to Europe’s largest trade fair for locations and real estate, the Expo Real in Munich.

    Further information on the SVSM:
     https://svsm-standortmanagement.ch

  • Station area Wettingen becomes a residential area

    Station area Wettingen becomes a residential area

    Under the aspect of living and working directly on the track, the SBB has announced an architectural competition for the design of their area at the railway station in Wettingen . According to the press release, the results are now available. They can be viewed in an exhibition in the foyer of the Tägi Wettingen until Tuesday, March 8th.

    The winning project is called Stadtlaube and, according to the SBB announcement at Wettingen station, envisages two long, five-storey residential buildings with service, retail and catering areas on the lower floors and a four-storey service building with public-oriented uses. The historical railway buildings are preserved.

    The two buildings to the west of the station form a boundary opposite the track field and thus create living and recreation space in a central location, according to the project announcement. The entrance areas and partly open-plan staircases are intended to provide a view of the railway tracks. There will be small squares and a play street in front of the house entrances. Flexible 2.5 to 4.5 room apartments with private outdoor areas and communal roof terraces are planned.

    A four-storey service building with shops and restaurants is planned to the east of the residential buildings and embedded in the historic station buildings. According to the announcement, the protected individual objects Lokremise, goods shed, station building and turntable will be preserved.

    The winning team of the architectural competition consists of Burkard Meyer Architects from Baden AG, ASP Landscape Architects from Zurich, MWV Civil Engineers from Baden, Leimgruber Fischer Schaub from Ennetbaden AG, Mühlebach Partner from Winterthur and Scherler AG from Lucerne.

  • Innovationspark Dübendorf is one step further

    Innovationspark Dübendorf is one step further

    The airport area in Dübendorf is to develop into a lively urban quarter in the coming years. A center for innovation, research and jobs is to be created. The aviation infrastructure is to be secured as a strategic reserve.

    The Zurich Government Council has now submitted a synthesis report to the Cantonal Council, as stated in a communication . This was drawn up by the federal government, the canton, the local authorities and other parties involved. It forms the basis for the further development of the area. It is now to be advised first by a special commission set up by the Cantonal Council.

    The government council intends to submit three proposals to the cantonal council by spring 2022. These deal with the creation of planning rights, a revision of the structure plan and a planning loan.

  • The Dübendorf Innovation Park should focus on mobility

    The Dübendorf Innovation Park should focus on mobility

    A project group set up by the government council of the canton of Zurich has been creating an overview of the Dübendorf airfield area since September 2020. The state chancellery of the Canton of Zurich informs in a statement that the members of the delegation of authorities have now signed the synthesis report. The airfield area is to be used as an innovation park, airfield and for military purposes.

    “For reasons of economy and sustainability” and “with consideration for the population”, “only what is needed will be built in stages,” explains the State Chancellery. According to her, the project should become “a beacon for innovative urban development, especially in the areas of environmental compatibility, sustainability and careful use of resources”.

    Specifically, the overall view provides for the area to be subdivided into four sub-areas. The innovation park with a focus on mobility, robotics, aviation, space travel as well as modern production technology and materials research is to be built in sub-area A. In sub-area B, the innovation park and a research and works airfield will combine to form an aviation cluster. Area C is reserved for uses with high security requirements. The aviation infrastructures are located in sub-area D, in which nature conservation will play a central role. A circular airfield path is intended to make the area usable for recreation and leisure for the population.

    In the next step, planning rights are to be created for all sub-areas, according to the communication. Specifically, a cantonal and a regional structure plan as well as the communal structure and land use planning are named there. The cantonal structure plan will be made public from September 6th to November 5th.

    The Zurich Chamber of Commerce ( ZHK ) welcomes the commitment to triple use as an innovation park, civil and military airfield. The vision of an internationally leading location for research and development on mobility solutions is worth supporting, she writes in a press release . However, she regrets the renunciation of business aviation. This is important for the attractiveness of the economic area. Therefore, the doors should not be permanently closed for them.

  • City council approves design plan for Obertor

    City council approves design plan for Obertor

    The design plan for the Obertor area was drawn up in a cooperative process with the participation of interest groups from the old town, representatives from the people's initiative for Obertor, the landowners, the city council and the city administration, the administration of the city of Winterthur informs in a message . According to her, the city council of Winterthur has now approved the design plan. Objections can be raised until October 12th.

    Shops, offices and apartments are to be built on the approximately 6,500 square meter area in the old town. The design plan provides for different uses for the individual properties. Shops on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors are planned for the buildings at Obertor 11 and 13. The historical inventory of the building at Obertor 17 is intended to be used to furnish offices. In the court properties Obertor 15 and 17a, the establishment of an innovative mixed use of residential and commercial is planned.

    At Badgasse 6, the concept aims to use wellness based on what was once the so-called bathtub mosque, is further explained in the communication. If this turns out to be impractical in practice, renting a health center, for example, will be considered as an alternative. The inner courtyard between Obertor and Badgasse is to be made accessible to the public as a “green island”.

  • JED wins design award

    JED wins design award

    The real estate development JED in Schlieren was able to convince in an international architecture competition. She received the Silver Award at theA 'Design Award and Comeptition . As part of the global competition, 2094 winners from 108 countries and in 104 design disciplines were chosen.

    JED was honored for its interior design, according to a message from real estate developer Swiss Prime Site on LinkedIn. In addition to Swiss Prime Site, the Zurich architecture firm Evolution Design is behind the design.

    JED was created on the former printing center of the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” in Schlieren. The development offers space for workplaces and events. JED sees itself as a “center for knowledge transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship”.

    "The project shows how industrial premises can be transformed into attractive destinations that revitalize local (economic) activities and create a platform for entrepreneurship," said the jury of the A 'Design Award and Competition. The architectural concept emphasizes the special features of the individual halls and gives the original structure a contemporary profile. The jury also praised the rooms in such a way that they enable knowledge transfer, creativity and innovation.

    The aim of the A 'Design Award and Competition is to make special architectural projects from all over the world known. This is intended to inspire new projects.

  • City of Baden starts revision of land use planning

    City of Baden starts revision of land use planning

    With the opening event on Saturday, May 29, the participation of the people of Baden in the revision of the land use planning of the city of Baden begins. According to the press release, this revision should take place in several phases and bring a result by 2025, which will then be submitted to the residents' council and the government council for approval.

    After 25 years in which various partial revisions have taken place, it is time to undertake an overall revision, the message says. It is about the structural development in view of the expected growth and the effects on settlement, traffic and open space. The guideline for the overall revision is the spatial development concept 2040 of the city of Baden. The structure plan of the canton of Aargau predicts a population growth of plus 34 percent or 6330 people for the city of Baden from 2013 to 2040. At the same time, Baden is listed on the structure plan map as an economic development focus of cantonal importance.

    The public should be actively involved in the revision of the land use planning, according to the announcement. Information events, dialogue events, walks and workshops take place regularly under the motto “Baden will”. All information on participation can be found on the wiewird.baden.ch website, which was activated on Wednesday.

    The revision of the land-use planning is currently in the first phase, which will determine the process and basis this spring. In the second, a good two-year phase, the draft of the new land use plan is drawn up. In the third phase from 2023 the formal participation and public edition will take place, with the possibility of submitting entries and objections. The third phase will be completed by the city council approving the land use planning revision, is explained in the press release. In phase four, the residents' council and the government council approve the revised land use plan.

  • Dietikons Bahnhofsplatz is being redesigned with the SBB

    Dietikons Bahnhofsplatz is being redesigned with the SBB

    The planned competition program for the redesign of the Dietikon station area can now be started. The Dietiker city council has approved a loan of 56,000 francs for the preparation of the "Bushof / Bahnhofplatz competition program" and the necessary clarifications, according to a message from the city chancellery. The contract for procedural support had been awarded to the Zurich consulting firm Eckhaus AG. In addition to upgrading the public space with quality of stay and a wheelchair accessible hub for public transport, an attractive location for living and working is to be created on the SBB site, according to the city of Dietikon about the project .

    The city of Dietikon and the SBB jointly awarded an urban planning study contract for the Dietikon station area in 2019. The "in-depth study of the Dietikon station area" was exhibited in plans and models in November and December 2020 on the window front of the Dietikon town hall. The results report was also available on the Internet.

    According to the plans of the city of Dietikon, the bus station is to be redesigned around two islands. This creates a largely traffic-calmed space in front of the train station, which is to be landscaped and planted with trees to create a lingering zone. According to the announcement, the SBB wants to develop a lively district from its parcels west of the track field. The station building is to be extended. Two construction sites for an office building and a complex with 200 apartments are planned on the parking lot.

  • Canton approves Rai design plan in Bergdietikon

    Canton approves Rai design plan in Bergdietikon

    The design plan submitted by the municipal council for the Rai area in Bergdietikon has been approved by the Department of Construction, Transport and Environment of the Canton of Aargau. This is announced by the municipal council in a message. It contains a look back at the 40-year history of the land of Rai. It began by buying four parcels of land in the Rai area between 1980 and 1990 so as not to leave the potential building land to speculators.

    After the canton's approval, the next step will be to implement the construction project. According to the communal council, the first step is to take measures to stabilize the hillside area. Implenia Immobilien AG has to submit a planning application for the planned work to the municipality of Bergdietikon. The concept developed by Heinrich Jäckli AG and Basler & Hofmann AG suggests slowing down the slope movements by means of deep drainage ditches arranged in the direction in which the slope falls. For the future development and development of the Rai area, subsoil investigations and movement measurements were carried out between 1991 and 2005. It follows from them that the slope movements can be reduced to such an extent that development and development are possible.

    In the years since the municipality acquired the Rai area, the topic of use has repeatedly dominated the political debate, writes municipality clerk Patrick Geissmann in the report on the Rai area. Pius Achermann, mayor from 1994 to 2005, has their say. He is quoted as saying: “The importance of the Rai area achieved a high priority during my tenure. Hardly a council meeting went by without addressing the subject of Rai. Rai became a constant topic. "

    For Paul Meier, mayor from 2006 to 2009, the state of Rai was “a stimulating word during my 16 years on the parish council.” And Gerhart Isler, mayor from 2010 to 2017, is quoted as saying that the subject involved the involvement of Implenia Development AG and specific planning work has been objectified. Ralf Dörig, mayor since 2018, is quoted as saying: "I am of course very pleased that the 40-year history of the country 'Rai' can now be concluded with a legally binding design plan." Solutions have been worked out, but there have also been setbacks. The entire planning has now been successfully completed.

  • Swisstopo data can now be accessed free of charge

    Swisstopo data can now be accessed free of charge

    All digital standard products from swisstopo are now available free of charge. The Federal Office for Topography wants to enable digital maps, aerial photographs, landscape models and geological vector data to be "used, distributed and reused". This also includes commercial uses, as swisstopo announced in a press release .

    These data were made generally accessible following a Federal Council resolution. The Federal Council is thus pursuing the goal of an even wider use of geospatial information. In addition, this opening is part of the "Strategy for Open Administrative Data in Switzerland 2019-2023".

    This data should be of particular interest to engineers, architects, programmers and planners. Access to official geospatial data will also be easier for research and science, the press release said.

    In this way, swisstopo could make an active contribution to innovation and economic growth and at the same time support the digital transformation in Switzerland. The files are available in machine-readable form and can easily be integrated into digital processes.

  • Canton sets design plan for ZHAW campus

    Canton sets design plan for ZHAW campus

    The Technikumstrasse campus of the ZHAW in Winterthur will be comprehensively renewed within 15 years, explains the building department of the Canton of Zurich in a message . New buildings and more open space are to be created in four stages. At the same time, the Eulach will be renatured in the area of the technical center. In the first phase, two new laboratory buildings are to be built and a public park is to be set up on the Eulach.

    The corresponding design plan was published from April 6 to June 8, 2020. 31 objections were received against him, mainly in questions of urban integration, the scope, development and nature conservation, informs the building management. Another 18 objections related to the renaturation of the Eulach and the definition of the water area.

    The design plan and the water area have been revised based on the objections and have now been set, the message continues. Both documents and the reports on the objections have been publicly available for 30 days since February 26 and can be viewed on the Internet . If no legal remedies are taken, they will come into force at the end of March this year. Then the city of Winterthur could issue the building permit for the first stage.

  • Government is slowing down traffic planning for Baden

    Government is slowing down traffic planning for Baden

    The new overall traffic concept for the Baden-Wettingen area has to go into an additional planning loop. According to a press release , the Aargau government council decided to leave the concept at the stage of the interim result. In doing so, he is responding to reservations that were expressed in the public hearing.

    In the hearing, for example, it was demanded that the Baden high bridge could also be used by cars in the future. This would also eliminate the need for a new Limmat bridge between Baden and Wettingen. In the Siggenthal a higher traffic load is feared. With the additional planning loop, the continuation of the Limmattalbahn beyond Killwangen could also be included in the planning in the future.

    However, the government council makes an exception in the overall transport concept: the Velosteg between Neuenhof and Würenlos should already be specified in the structure plan. This could secure the federal funds for the project.

    The overall traffic concept for the Brugg-Windisch area, on the other hand, is to be specified in the structure plan. These include the center relief and the bike route.

  • Federal government specifies requirements for wind energy

    Federal government specifies requirements for wind energy

    "Since 2018, the Energy and Spatial Planning Act explicitly oblige the cantons to define areas in their structure plans that are suitable for the use of wind energy," the Federal Council explains in a press release . At its meeting on September 25th, it approved the necessary adjustments to the wind energy concept. All planning and project sponsors must orient themselves to this concept.

    In the wind energy concept, usage and protection interests are weighed up against each other. From this consideration, the federal government derives areas that it believes are suitable for the use of wind energy. The interests of the federal government in nature and landscape protection areas as well as military and civil technical systems of the federal government must be taken into account by the cantons when designating areas for the use of wind energy. The adapted concept stipulates that under certain conditions wind turbines can be erected in landscapes of national importance. In biotopes of national importance, however, the construction of wind turbines is excluded.

    The cantons continue to have the authority to determine the specific areas that come into question for the use of wind energy. In the structure plans already approved by the federal government for the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Bern, Freiburg, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, St.Gallen, Waadt and Wallis, more than 50 such areas have already been defined. In addition, the communication points to a number of wind energy projects that are already well advanced in the planning stage.

  • New Chinese city should be completely self-sufficient

    New Chinese city should be completely self-sufficient

    The Barcelona-based architectural firm Guallart Architects has won the tender for the planning of the new Chinese city of Xiong'an. It should be resilient and 100 percent self-sufficient. According to the will of the Chinese President, it should become the “new standard for the post-COVID era”.

    According to an article by the Thomson Reuters Foundation , Xiong'an is being conceived as a self-sufficient city that produces its own energy, food and other resources. It will have rooftop farms and greenhouses, drone-friendly terraces and shared 3-D printers. In addition, apartments are planned with space for home offices so that their residents can work from home in the event of future pandemics. The city's eco-friendly design includes blocks of flats made from cross-laminated timber, renewable energy and streets reserved exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists.

    "We can no longer design cities and buildings as if nothing had happened," Vincent Guallart, founder of Guallart Architects and former chief architect of the city of Barcelona, is quoted in the article. “Our proposal arises from the need to find solutions to the different crises that are playing out on our planet at the same time. They are supposed to create a new kind of urban life based on a biological circular economy. That will make cities and municipalities stronger. "

    The present draft was strongly influenced by the experiences of the team of architects during the lockdown in Spain. “We wanted to make a case for the things that we think are important during a lockdown and in the future. If apartments enable teleworking and tele-teaching, have flexible rooms on large terraces, cities can grow food on their roofs and residents can print things in the neighborhood, we will be better prepared for the crises of the future. "

    Xiong'an is being built in Hebei Province, around 130 kilometers southwest of Beijing. According to the article, China's President Xi Jinping has described it as the "new standard for the post-COVID era". He marked Xiong'an as an urban innovation zone back in 2017.

  • geoProRegio is repositioning itself

    geoProRegio is repositioning itself

    The five Aargauer Stadtwerke, which have merged to form geoProRegio, have decided on a new ownership strategy. It provides for a restructuring of the geoinformatics service. The merger of the respective independent platforms is to create a company of its own, in which, however, only four shareholders will participate – Regionalwerke Baden, StWZ Energie AG, SWL Energie AG and TBS Strom AG. Eniwa is leaving and, according to a press release , decided for strategic reasons to continue its existing platform for geographic information services in the medium term and to sell its stake in geoProRegio AG.

    In the new structure, not only the technical systems, but also the customer portfolios as well as the 30 or so employees from the GIS departments of the four partners will be transferred to the company. The seat of geoProRegio AG remains in Baden.

    The managing director of the geographic information service provider is Cédric Aubert. The physicist has many years of experience in data management, research, the energy industry and the financial sector. He is fascinated by the challenge of “getting more out of geospatial data”. “The market potential in the field of geographic information services is great. With the new company, we are well prepared for the future and can offer our customers innovative and progressive geographic information solutions, ”Cédric Aubert is quoted in the press release.