Planning and compensation approach

The revision of the Swiss Spatial Planning Act (RPG Revision) of 2019 provides for a new approach, namely the planning and compensation approach. It is intended to give the cantons more freedom regarding the development outside the construction zones by allowing them to plan and implement developments that are not possible under current planning law without generating further exemptions.

The planning and compensation approach consists of two different approaches: the territory approach and the object approach.
The core idea of the territory approach is to define zones for non-localized uses in order to take into account specific cantonal or regional characteristics.
The core idea of the object approach is to permit moderate and justified deviations from the planning regulations in order to allow the extension of an existing building or facility according to Art. 24c, 24d or 24f RPG in order to take into account specific cantonal or regional characteristics, as in the territory approach.

For the approval of projects according to the territory or object approach, a public interest is prerequisit. Furthermore, a compensation is required; in the territory approach in addition to compensation measures, such as real compensation or better spatial arrangement of uses, also appreciation measures in a broader sense are required.

The aim of the project was to develop a compensation mechanism for building outside the construction zones and to assess its feasibility. Working closely with various cantonal and federal agencies as well as with the cantonal planners, practical recommendations were developed.

Project reports

Download Die Machbarkeit der Kompensation im Rahmen des Planungs- und Kompensationsansatzes gemäss E-RPG (PDF, 2.7 MB)

Download Etude de la faisabilité de la compensation dans le cadre de la méthode de planification & de com-pensation en conformité avec le P-LAT (PDF, 3.7 MB)