Spatial planning and land-use planning

Swiss spatial planning coordinates settlement, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, landscape and environmental protection across federal, cantonal and municipal levels. Binding land-use plans typically determine whether land lies in a building zone, agricultural zone or protection zone, and set rules on density, design and permitted uses. Planning measures pursue public interests but must respect legality, proportionality and equality. They strongly affect property value and building possibilities; in exceptional cases severe restrictions may trigger compensation as material expropriation.