Integrative planning of post-suburban growth in the Glatt Valley (Switzerland)

This paper addresses conditions of post-suburban urbanisation. Our empirical base is drawn from observations of integration initiatives in the region of the Glatt Valley, a rather undefined area extending from the City of Zurich towards the airport and spreading over a number of small municipalities. Under growth pressure, municipalities are coordinating housing, transportation, and economic activity, and this is generating new post-suburban forms. To understand these processes, qualitative methods were used, relevant documents surveyed, and conversational interviews with actors in the area conducted. A process of infrastructure consolidation was observed, which moved towards integrating functional pathways and optimising capital accumulation, and attracting and catering for business development and high-income earners. To date, the region has proved to be diverse and dynamic, while also furthering certain modes of fragmentation and social stratification. The results reveal post-suburban forms that are place specific and path dependent insofar as they are driven by particular arrangements of governance that emphasise a certain mode of integrative planning. This form of post-suburban growth is also producing new forms of fragmentation. Abstract This paper addresses conditions of post-suburban urbanisation. Our empirical base is drawn from observations of integration initiatives in the region of the Glatt Valley, a rather undefined area extending from the City of Zurich towards the airport and spreading over a number of small municipalities. Under growth pressure, municipalities are coordinating housing, transportation, and economic activity, and this is generating new post-suburban forms. To understand these processes, qualitative methods were used, surveying relevant documents, and conducting conversational interviews with actors in the area. Observed was a process of infrastructure consolidation towards integrating functional pathways and optimising capital accumulation, attracting and taking care of business development, and high-income earners. To date, the region reveals itself to be diverse and dynamic, while also furthering certain modes of fragmentation and social stratification. The results reveal post-suburban forms that are place-specific and path dependent insofar as they are driven by certain arrangements of governance that emphasise a certain mode of integrative planning. This form of post-suburban growth is also producing new forms of fragmentation. Keywords Post-suburban, Switzerland, Zurich, Glatt Valley, integrative planning, governance Kurzfassung Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit Bedingungen der post-suburbanen Entwicklung in der Schweiz. Die empirische Basis bilden Beobachtungen von Raumplanungs- und Governancepraktiken im Glattal, einem nicht klar abzugrenzenden Gebiet, welches sich von der Stadt Zürich bis jenseits des Flughafens erstreckt und viele kleine Gemeinden umfasst. Unter Wachstumsdruck koordinieren die Gemeinden den Wohnungsbau, die Verkehrsplanung und die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. Somit entstehen neue post-suburbanen Räume. Auf Basis qualitativer Methoden wurden die Urbanisierungsprozesse in der Region analysiert. Relevante Dokumente wurden ausgewertet, und Interviews mit Akteuren der Region wurden durchgeführt. Beobachtet wurde ein Prozess der Konsolidierung von Infrastrukturen zur Optimierung der Kapitalakkumulation. Dieser fördert die Anziehung von Betrieben, pflegt die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und die Ansiedlung einkommensstarker Haushalte. Bis dato entfaltet sich die Region vielfältig und dynamisch, fördert aber auch Formen der Fragmentierung und der sozialen Schichtung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen ebenso post-suburbane Formen, die ortsspezifisch sind und welche sich durch historisch gegebene Governancestrukturen und damit verbundene spezifische Modelle der integrativen Raumplanung ergeben. Diese Form von post-suburbanem Wachstum produziert neue Muster der Fragmentierung. Schlüsselwörter Post-suburban, Schweiz, Zürich, Glattal,· integrative Planung, Governanc