ETH Zürich research provides new answers to the role of housing construction and its social impact

Symbolic picture by Stefancu Iulian on Unsplash

Housing construction in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich has significantly contributed to urban densification over the past two decades. Key factors include replacement buildings, vertical extensions, and industrial and commercial site conversions. Vertical extensions offer a more socially balanced densification, while replacement constructions often lead to higher rents and tenant displacement. Displacement is less pronounced in French-speaking Switzerland.

David Kaufmann’s research on urban construction in Switzerland reveals an increasing amount of construction is taking place within settlement boundaries, particularly in core cities. The study found that new residential buildings are being built on land already used, with replacement constructions, vertical extensions, and converted industrial and commercial sites playing a key role. The number of new-build apartments has risen significantly in all urban areas surveyed, but not the number of buildings. The report also found that replacement buildings contain more residential units than demolished ones, making Basel, Geneva, and Lausanne more effective in using their settlement areas than Bern and Zurich.

The full study can be accessed on the ETH Zürich Website by clicking here 

Water level decline on Rhine and Elbe cause economic losses

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Germany is facing water shortages due to reduced rainfall, with the summer of 2025 expected to be critical due to low rainfall levels. In 2024, the 173.8 million tonnes transported on federal waterways slightly increased compared to 2023, but the Rhine and Elbe experienced more severe conditions, leading to operational restrictions and increased costs for inland navigation. This has affected industries that depend heavily on waterways, such as the chemical and steel industries. The container trade also suffered a 10.4% reduction on waterways in 2024.

Institutions and operators are responding with adaptation strategies, such as increasing waterway depth, controlling river and canal levels, and earmarking EUR 50 million annually for modern vessels. Overall, the drought is estimated to cause annual economic losses of EUR 2.1 billion.

Sources: 

TransportoEuropa.it

KliVo 

German Government to invest €166 billion in rail and roads

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The German government plans to invest €166 billion in transport infrastructure by 2029, with €107 billion earmarked for railway line renovation.

The focus is on digitising the railways, including the expansion of the European Train Control System (ETCS) and modernising outdated signal boxes. A special infrastructure fund of 500 billion euros is earmarked for financing, with 52 billion going to federal roads and 8 billion to waterways. This represents a 60% increase in transport investment compared to 2020-2024. Deutsche Bahn plans to generally renovate over 40 heavily used railway lines to clear the way for construction work. The Hamburg-Berlin line is scheduled for 2025, and the project is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s.

However, Deutsche Bahn emphasises the need for reliable long-term financing for rail infrastructure, as the sum remains 18 billion euros below the actual requirement. A comprehensive strategy for the future includes more new rail and road construction, with the aim of ensuring a reliable, efficient, and climate-friendly infrastructure in Germany in the long term.

Source(in German): 

Verkehrsrundschau.de