Author: On the live ticker were Philipp Schneider and Raffaela Moresi
urban sprawl initiative
Federal bill: Popular initiative “Stopping urban sprawl – for sustainable settlement development
- The urban sprawl initiative of the Young Greens is rejected with 63.7 percent No. All cantons also say no.
- The voting interest amounts to 37.5 percent.
- According to Environment Minister Sommaruga, the population now trusts that the spatial planning law will be implemented consistently.
- Decisions from the cantons: Cantonal hospitals of both Basel cantons cannot merge – Ban on headscarves for Geneva state employees – Uri cantons approve large predator initiative – Berne cantons reject energy law
The ticker is closed
Thank you very much and have a nice evening.
This concludes our coverage of Voting Sunday. Of course we will continue to provide you with information, analyses and reactions to the results. We thank you for your interest and wish you an entertaining Sunday evening.
16 of 16
With the urban sprawl initiative the 16th of 16 initiatives in this legislature has been rejected – until the elections in October no more will follow. “If people don’t really have a problem under their nails, then it will be difficult for an initiative,” says political scientist Lukas Golder, explaining the difficult state of initiatives. It would be even more difficult if Parliament and the Federal Council could point to an already existing remedy for a problem. If, in addition, opponents of the initiative were to act decisively, practically no initiative would have a chance. Nevertheless, the instrument of the initiative is stronger than before.
Jans: “No No to landscape protection”
SP Vice President Beat Jans does not see the no as a no to landscape conservation. The re-zoning provided for by the Spatial Planning Act must now be implemented consistently. It is also often forgotten that construction takes place outside the building zones, namely in agriculture. “Something must also happen there,” demands Jans.
Gössi: “Have faith in the cantonal governments!”
The losers of the vote would not have to make any demands, especially in view of the low turnout. FDP President Petra Gössi says that this shows that the population’s problems are not “pressing”. Therefore, it is important to wait for the implementation of the revision of the Spatial Planning Act. “Only then will one know where to make adjustments. To the critics of the new spatial planning law – which originally included the FDP – she says: “Please have more trust in cantonal governments, only they know the needs of their region. They will not allow everything to be resettled.”
Rytz: “Will drive on”
Green President Regula Rytz admits that her young party’s initiative was “consistent and radical”. But the fact that 36 percent of the population voted for the initiative was a sign that the party was prepared to take smaller steps in the future. “At the moment it is a disappointment, but we will continue to drive.
Pfister: “More leeway for cantons”
CVP President Gerhard Pfister believes that the Spatial Planning Act is the right instrument to combat urban sprawl. The urban sprawl initiative had gone too far. In the further development of the Spatial Planning Act, the cantons with their different needs must now be given sufficient leeway.
Rösti: “Immigration instead of Spatial Planning”
The party presidents will now comment on the result of the vote. For SVP President Albert Rösti it is clear that urban sprawl is also a problem for his party base. “Especially in rural areas there is a feeling of unease that one is losing cultivated land. However, Rösti sees the cause of the problem not in spatial planning but in population growth. “If we don’t start here, the land will be overbuilt.”
Zurich residents sink water law and continue to rely on dog courses
The people of Zurich do not want partial privatisation of their drinking water supply and are sinking 54.6 per cent of the water law, which is based on civil law. This law was primarily concerned with the delicate question of who is allowed to operate the water supply – only the public sector or also private individuals.
Also the abolition of dog courses had no chance in the canton. After the no to the dog law change, owners of “large and massive” dogs must continue to complete a course. Last year, the majority of the cantonal parliament had decided to abolish these courses, because they would only bring little in return, despite the great effort involved. The number of bite incidents has not decreased as hoped, the bourgeois argued.
Sommaruga wants consistent implementation of spatial planning law
The Environment Minister takes responsibility for the Confederation, the cantons and the municipalities. Today is not a defeat for nature and landscape. The “strict” spatial planning law of 2013 will not be touched. “We are now implementing it as the population expects,” says Sommaruga. The mistakes of the past should not be repeated. Cantons and communes would now have to reduce the size of building zones that are too large, and the federal government would have to look closely.
After only two questions from journalists, the media conference of the Federal Councillor is already over.