16 juin 2025|
AI
|6 months agoSwitzerland's Housing Crisis: Parallels with England's Mistakes
Swiss real estate economist warns that Switzerland risks repeating England's housing market failures, as both countries grapple with strict land use restrictions and growing demand.
AI
Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
AI
- Switzerland has implemented strict land use restrictions since the last major revision of the Spatial Planning Act 11 years ago
- Four-fifths of the Swiss population can no longer afford house prices
- Switzerland's federalist structure and municipal tax autonomy historically contributed to urban sprawl
By The Numbers
370,000
New homes targeted annually in England
87,000
New homes targeted annually in London
15,000
Applications received for new flats in Zurich's Tramdepot Hard estate
They Said
"We want to get the balance right with nature and the environment, but if it comes to a human being wanting to have a house for them and their family, that has to be the top priority"
"What we're seeing in Switzerland is a combination of strong demand for housing – for both owner-occupied and rented homes – and at the same time a supply trend that has become increasingly inflexible since around the mid-2010s"