Federal popular initiative "Stop urban sprawl - for sustainable settlement development (urban sprawl initiative)"

The federal popular initiative "Stop urban sprawl - for sustainable settlement development" , also known as the urban sprawl initiative for short , was a Swiss popular initiative . She wanted to stop the urban sprawl by not allowing the building areas to be enlarged any further. Re-zoning should have been compensated for by re-zoning at another location. Furthermore, building outside the building zones should be more strictly regulated and sustainable settlement development should be promoted. The initiators were the Young Greens Switzerland . The initiative was submitted on October 21, 2016 with 113,216 valid signatures. It came to the vote on February 10, 2019.

Emergence

During the consultation process for the second stage of the revision of the Spatial Planning Act (RPG), the initiators determined that the new law would also lead to insufficient protection of the cultivated land and that urban sprawl would proceed unchecked. The initiators particularly criticized the rule that “there are no limits for zoning”. Although it will be zoned once for the demand forecast for 15 years as soon as the area is built over, new land can simply be zoned. With a zoning stop, the initiators want to ensure that the land is dealt with sustainably. That is why the initiative was launched on April 20, 2015.

The initiative was submitted on October 21, 2016. On November 29, 2016, the Federal Chancellery declared the initiative to have come about with 113,216 valid signatures.

Initiative text

The federal constitution is amended as follows:

Art. 75 paras. 4-7

1. The federal government, cantons and municipalities ensure, within the scope of their responsibilities, favorable framework conditions for sustainable forms of living and working in small-scale structures with a high quality of life and short transport routes (sustainable neighborhoods).
2. The aim is to develop an inward settlement that is in harmony with a high quality of life and special protective provisions.
3. The elimination of new building zones is only permitted if another unsealed area of ​​at least the same size and comparable potential agricultural income value is zoned out of the building zone.
4. Outside the construction zone, only site-specific buildings and facilities for land-dependent agriculture or site-specific buildings of public interest may be approved. The law can provide for exceptions. Existing buildings enjoy a guarantee of existence and can be slightly expanded and used slightly.

Opinion polls

Institute	Client	date	Yes	Rather yes	Tie No answer	Rather no	No
LeeWas GmbH	Tamedia	January 25, 2019	32	5	1	5	57
possibly Bern	SRG SSR	20th January 2019	31	16	4th	12	37
LeeWas GmbH	Tamedia	January 11, 2019	38	14th	2	8th	38
LeeWas GmbH	Tamedia	December 21, 2018	40	14th	2	8th	36
possibly Bern	SRG SSR	December 9, 2018	35	28	8th	14th	15th

Comments: Figures in percent. The date indicates the middle point in time of the survey, not the point in time when the survey was published.

poll

Results by canton

The initiative came to a vote on February 10, 2019 and failed because of the majority of the people and the number of estates . It was rejected by almost two thirds of the votes cast. The turnout was 37.4 percent.

Yes (0 ⁰ / ₂ stands)

No (20 ⁶ / ₂ Scores)

Urban sprawl initiative - preliminary official final results

Canton	Yes (%)	No (%)	Participation (%)
Aargau	33.6	66.4	34.0
Appenzell Ausserrhoden	36.7	63.3	37.1
Appenzell Innerrhoden	28.1	71.9	33.7
Basel-Country	36.5	63.5	37.7
Basel city	46.5	53.5	47.1
Bern	35.0	65.0	37.8
Freiburg	38.0	62.0	33.5
Geneva	47.7	52.3	43.8
Glarus	36.1	63.9	27.5
Grisons	28.1	71.9	32.6
law	38.4	61.6	29.9
Lucerne	33.7	66.3	37.1
Neuchâtel	46.2	53.8	32.3
Nidwalden	24.3	75.7	37.6
Obwalden	24.2	75.8	39.2
Schaffhausen	40.6	59.4	61.4
Schwyz	26.2	73.8	39.7
Solothurn	36.2	63.8	34.7
St. Gallen	33.5	66.5	35.5
Ticino	41.8	58.2	32.4
Thurgau	33.4	66.6	40.0
Uri	30.2	69.8	33.3
Vaud	37.1	62.9	38.2
Valais	21.3	78.7	43.2
train	30.5	69.5	42.0
Zurich	40.0	60.0	40.2
Swiss Confederation	36.3	63.7	37.4

Web links

• Website of the initiative committee "YES to the urban sprawl initiative"
• Explanations of the initiative at admin.ch
• Information at easyvote
• Federal Chancellery dossier
• Dossier at parlament.ch
• Urban sprawl initiative in the Swissvotes voting database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Federal Chancellery BK: Federal People's Initiative “Stop urban sprawl - for sustainable settlement development (urban sprawl initiative)” . ( admin.ch [PDF; accessed on November 21, 2018]).
2. ↑ The urban sprawl initiative officially came about. In: www.zersiedelung-stoppen.ch. Retrieved November 21, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Urban sprawl launched today. Retrieved November 21, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Federal Chancellery: Federal People's Initiative 'Stop urban sprawl - for sustainable settlement development (urban sprawl initiative)'. Retrieved November 21, 2018 . 
5. ↑ https://www.tamedia.ch/tl_files/content/Group/PDF%20Files/Deutsch/Bericht_3Welle_AbstFeb.pdf
6. ↑ https://www.gfsbern.ch/de-ch/Detail/vorabstimmungsanalyse-zur-eidg-abstellung-vom-10-februar-2019-15
7. ↑ https://www.tamedia.ch/tl_files/content/Group/PDF%20Files/Deutsch/Bericht_2Welle_AbstFeb19.pdf
8. ↑ https://www.tamedia.ch/tl_files/content/Group/PDF%20Files/Franzoesisch/Bericht_1Welle_AbstFeb19.pdf
9. ↑ https://www.gfsbern.ch/de-ch/Detail/vorabstimmungsanalyse-zur-eidg-abstellung-vom-10-februar-2019
10. ^ Federal Council: draft vote for February 10, 2019. Accessed on November 21, 2018 . 
11. ↑ The urban sprawl initiative clearly fails. In: nzz.ch. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , February 10, 2019, accessed on February 10, 2019 . 
12. ↑ tagesschau.de: No restrictions on building land in Switzerland. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
13. ↑ Popular initiative of October 21, 2016 "Stop urban sprawl - for sustainable settlement development (urban sprawl initiative)". Swiss Federal Chancellery, accessed on February 10, 2019 .