A survey of twenty-four cooperative building and living projects in Switzerland.

Today’s housing markets, especially in cities, are marked by demand that vastly outstrips the extremely limited supply and thus drives up rent; conflicting economic interests; and heated political debate about how to solve these problems. More than ever, cities must respond to the pressing demand for affordable housing, social diversity, and vibrant neighborhoods. In Switzerland, housing cooperatives have become key players in this field. Sometimes as sole developers, but mostly in collaboration with public agencies and private foundations or private developers, they have become driving forces of urban renewal.

New Neighborhoods in Switzerland offers twenty-four exemplary recent projects in nine Swiss cities that demonstrate how the cooperative model offers diverse solutions to meet the globally high demand for affordable urban housing. It also explores housing cooperatives’ expanded role in urban development and local politics. Heavily illustrated with images and plans, supplemented by interviews with and contributions by experts from the fields of architecture, urban design, and politics, this book is a source for the collaborative rethinking of the contemporary city.