And here is an overview of the 13 municipal templates:
1. City of Zurich: Tram Affoltern
The so-called Tram Affoltern is intended to better connect the growing district to public transport. A four-kilometer-long tram line is planned along Wehntalerstrasse with new stops, wider footpaths, bicycle lanes and additional green spaces. The entire project costs 562 million francs. The canton and federal government pay the majority, the city’s share amounts to 159.1 million francs.
2. City of Zurich: “Parking space compromise”
The popular initiative “Parking Compromise Yes” demands that the city of Zurich continue to provide enough parking spaces on public land for cars, bicycles and businesses. If parking spaces are eliminated, equivalent replacement spaces should be created in the same area.
3. City of Zurich: District heating expansion
The city of Zurich wants to significantly expand its district heating network with a framework loan of 2.26 billion francs in order to achieve the net zero target by 2040 and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from heating. To this end, fossil heating systems such as oil and gas are to be replaced by thermal networks and new systems and pipes are to be built in several urban areas. Financing is provided by the EWZ and is paid for in the long term through fees paid by the customers themselves – without direct tax money.
4. City of Zurich: “EWZ bonus for everyone” initiative
The popular initiative “EWZ bonus for all” demands that the city of Zurich’s electricity company pay out part of its 80 million franc profit to households and small businesses. That would correspond to a one-off bonus of around 340 francs per connection.
5. City of Zurich: Implementation of the Planning and Building Act (§ 49 b)
When rezoning or rezoning, the city should in future be able to require developers to rent out some of the apartments at cost rent. A new regulation regulates who is allowed to live in these apartments. This stipulates that the number of people should be no more than one less than the number of rooms. In addition, tenants are not allowed to earn more than four times the rent. Because these conditions are only checked at the start of the rental period and are no longer checked later, the referendum was held.
6. City of Zurich: Temporary use of central laundry
The city of Zurich wants to extend the interim use of the former central laundry area on the Josef-Areal until 2035. The site will continue to accommodate cultural, social and non-profit projects as well as the sports center. An additional loan of 7.98 million francs is up for vote.
7. City of Zurich: New construction of the Juch-Areal recycling center
The city of Zurich is planning a new recycling center on the Juch site in Altstetten to replace the Hagenholz recycling center, which will close in 2024. The construction is expected to cost around 33.1 million francs.
8. City of Zurich: Taxi health centers
Today the city council sets the taxes for care and support in the health centers for the elderly. A majority in the local council wants to transfer this responsibility to parliament so that the population can indirectly have more say in the costs.
9. City of Zurich: Youth housing loan
The city of Zurich wants to continue the youth housing loan with a new framework loan of 40 million francs. In this way, the city supports non-profit housing developers with interest-free loans. The last loan of 20 million francs from 2010 has been used up. It created living space for 828 people.
10. City of Zurich: Utogrund school and sports facility
The city of Zurich is planning a replacement building for the Utogrund school complex in the Albisrieden district because there is already a lack of space due to the increasing number of students. The new building costing 138 million francs offers space for around 400 children, modern school rooms and a gymnasium twice as large; At the same time, the adjacent sports facility will also be renovated.
11. City of Zurich: Ecological measures in the lake basin
The city of Zurich is planning ecological replacement measures in the lake basin because several concessions for port facilities expire by the end of 2026 and new interventions in the lake have to be compensated for. To this end, a framework loan of 69 million francs is to be used, among other things, to create new shallow water zones by using excavated tunnel material, for example from the expansion of the Stadelhofen train station.
12. City of Zurich: New Höckler school complex
The city of Zurich is planning to build a new Höckler school complex in the Manegg area in the Uto school district because the number of students has risen sharply and additional classrooms are needed for over 400 children and young people. The area on Allmendstrasse will include primary and secondary classes, a special school, sports halls, a swimming pool as well as lounge and outdoor areas that will also be open to the district. The new building costs around 141 million francs and is scheduled to go into operation from 2032.
13. City of Zurich: Transfer of Heidi-Abel-Weg property
The city of Zurich wants to transfer a plot of land in Seebach under building rights to the Retirement Apartments Foundation (SAW) so that around 115 new, affordable retirement apartments can be built there.
