Reliefs urbains

Project strategies promoting urbanity on slopes in light of the ecological transition

In Switzerland, a significant share of urbanized areas is on hillsides. While this condition presents challenges in terms of construction and mobility, it also offers substantial opportunities. The targeted construction of buildings and the creation of public spaces in such context raise critical questions regarding the relationship with the ground and the minimization of soil movement. From a mobility perspective, sloping sites also calls for the rediscovery and revaluation of transport techniques developed prior to the hegemony of the private automobile–notably cable transport systems, which are especially well well adapted to steep topographies. Numerous landscape, urban planning, and architectural issues thus call into question the project-based approaches to be adopted, so that the transformation of hillside neighborhoods can contribute to the diversification of the urban environment undergoing ecological transition.

The “Reliefs Urbains” research project addresses these issues by developing specific project-based approaches aimed at strengthening neighborhoods on sloping sites near public transport nodes. To address the diversity of spatial situations, the research methodology focuses on the mapping of priority locations and development of project visions for study sites that are representative of urban, landscape, and climate-related challenges. The project investigates four study sites located across Switzerland’s three main biogeographical regions: one site in the Alpine Arc, one in the Jura Arc, and two sites in the Swiss Plateau, respectively.

Main publications