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The Limmat in Zurich's old town at sunset, with the clock tower of St. Peter's Church above the riverside houses on the left, the Rathausbrücke and the Town Hall on the right

Switzerland

Zurich

Photo: Elijah Cobb, Pexels License, Pexels

Zurich is buying homes towards its goal of one non-profit rental in three by 2050, turning street space into greenery, walking and cycling space, preparing a 365-franc annual transit pass and paying half the cost of e-cargo bikes for businesses.

Updated · Checked against official sources

  • Population (end of 2025)

    452,421, the highest ever

    2025

  • Mayor (Stadtpräsident)

    Raphael Golta, since the 2026-2030 term began

  • EU programmes

    2

Latest

  1. Mobility ·

    Zurich pays half the cost of e-cargo bikes for businesses

    Zurich has launched «CarGoVelo für Züri», a programme that pays half the purchase cost of an electric cargo bike for companies and organisations, with a total budget of 390,000 francs available for a maximum of three years.

    Facts and source
    • The city covers half the purchase cost of an e-cargo bike for companies and organisations.
    • The city also pays for a service after one year and up to 1,000 francs towards lettering on the bike.
    • The programme runs until its 390,000-franc budget is used up, for a maximum of three years.

    Source: Zurich city hall, “Die Stadt unterstützt den Kauf von E-Cargovelos für gewerbliche Nutzungen”

    Read with context →

  2. Climate and energy ·

    Zurich expands mobile recycling centre to 33 sites and retires disposal tram

    Zurich is retiring its disposal tram after more than 85 years, with a last stop in Hirzenbach on 20 October 2026, as its mobile recycling centre expands to 33 locations by early 2027, adding 22 sites the tram never reached.

    Facts and source
    • The expansion of the mobile recycling centre to 33 locations across Zurich will be completed by early 2027.
    • The disposal tram is being retired and makes its last stop in Hirzenbach on Tuesday 20 October 2026.
    • About 500 people visit each four-hour session, roughly half of whom also use the swap area or repair advice.

    Source: Zurich city hall, “Mobiler Recyclinghof hält ab 2027 stadtweit an 33 Standorten”

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  3. Regeneration and housing ·

    Zurich buys 64 flats in Seebach for 78.22 million francs

    Zurich's city council has decided to buy a site in Seebach with 12 apartment buildings and 64 flats for 78.22 million francs, a step towards making one third of the city's rental flats non-profit by 2050.

    Facts and source
    • The city is acquiring a site in Seebach with 12 apartment buildings and 64 flats for 78.22 million francs.
    • The purchase supports the city's goal that one third of rental flats are non-profit by 2050.
    • Unused building rights would allow at least twice the current living space in future.

    Source: Zurich city hall, “64 Wohnungen in Seebach werden städtisch”

    Read with context →

  4. Mobility ·

    Zurich reaches a third of its street greening target after one year

    Zurich's first annual report on its voter-mandated street space targets shows that 33.3 percent of the greening target and 8.3 percent of the walking, cycling and public transport target were reached between May 2025 and April 2026.

    Facts and source
    • Voters mandated the city to convert 462,000 m² of street space to walking, cycling and public transport and to green a further 145,000 m² within ten years.
    • In the first reporting year, public green space grew by 48,311 m² and space for sustainable transport by 38,304 m² between May 2025 and April 2026.
    • This means 33.3% of the greening target and 8.3% of the sustainable transport target have already been met.

    Source: Zurich city hall, “Mehr Begrünung und mehr Flächen für den Umweltverbund”

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City briefs are drafted with AI from official sources; every fact is checked against the source text before an editor approves it.

Projects we track

6 projects · 1 completed · 4 under way

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Street space for walking, cycling, public transport and greenery

    After the 2024 votes, the city must convert 462,000 m² of street space to walking, cycling and public transport and green a further 145,000 m² by 2035; after the first year (May 2025 to April 2026) it had reached 33.3% of the greening target and 8.3% of the transport target.

    Funded by Stadt Zürich Mobility

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    365-franc annual public transport pass

    Following the September 2025 popular vote, the City Council has proposed discounting annual passes for zone 110 and the GA travelcard for residents to 365 francs for adults and 185 francs for children and young people; the City Parliament now has a year to decide.

    Budget CHF 195 million a year (requested) Funded by Stadt Zürich Mobility

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Purchase of 64 homes in Seebach

    The city is buying a site in Seebach with 12 apartment buildings and 64 homes for at least 156 people, towards its goal that one rental home in three be non-profit by 2050; the land can later hold at least twice today's floor space.

    Budget CHF 78.22 million Funded by Stadt Zürich Regeneration and housing

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    CarGoVelo für Züri: e-cargo bike subsidy

    Launched in October 2026, the programme pays half the purchase price of an e-cargo bike for businesses and organisations, plus a first-year service and up to 1,000 francs for lettering, for at most three years or until the budget runs out.

    Budget CHF 390,000 Funded by Stadt Zürich Mobility

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Integration policy goals 2026-2030

    The City Council adopted 20 integration goals under the title "Zürich ist gelebte Vielfalt", grouped in five strands, with preventing discrimination as a strand of its own for the first time and digitalisation added as a theme.

    Inclusion

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Mobile recycling centre, citywide

    Started as a pilot at four sites in 2022, the mobile recycling centre, with a swap point and repair advice, will stop at 33 sites across the city by early 2027, served by electric lorries that replace the waste-collection tram.

    Funded by Stadt Zürich (Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich) Climate and energy

    Status checked 21 October 2026 · Source

EU programmes and networks

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