Zurich study suggests housing for 42,000 on industrial sites

A study by Consult AG and real estate service provider IAZI indicates that existing industrial and commercial areas in the Canton of Zurich could accommodate up to 20,600 additional apartments, potentially housing approximately 42,000 people.

To achieve this, the authors recommend relaxing current building regulations and amending the cantonal planning and construction law. This would allow municipalities to permit residential development on suitable industrial sites while balancing the needs of existing businesses and promoting affordable housing.

The proposal addresses growing housing shortages and rising costs in Switzerland’s most populous canton. Donato Scognamiglio, co-author of the study and head of IAZI, noted that high housing costs can create social tension. In a moderate scenario, the study identifies potential for 16,000 apartments across 1,245 plots in 115 municipalities, which could cover five to nine years of the current housing gap.