Geneva plan to return land to people

Friday, 30 April 2021 05:06

A cantonal initiative has been launched in Geneva to change the space currently being used for cars to either vegetation or sustainable mobility.

The law would demand the government shift the land use by 1% a year for the next 10 years.

The land could either be greened or made into cycle lanes or pedestrian areas.

The initiative would also protect existing green areas.

The campaign is being backed by about 20 groups including political parties and environmental groups.

Similar ideas are now being examined in other cities, such as Basel, Bern, Sankt Gallen and Zurich.

In Geneva campaigners need to collect 5,398 signatures by the end of August to force it to the ballot box.

More from Bitesize News

Lausanne bike shelters get an upgrade

Lausanne's grey metal Vélobox bike shelters, mocked as "Soviet bunkers" since their rollout in January, are getting an artistic makeover
Cook from Vaud goes global

A 31-year-old Vaudois cook is finding a global audience for a very local idea — low-calorie versions of classic comfort food
Lake Zurich at record low

Lake Zurich is at its lowest level ever recorded, 22 centimetres below the previous 1952 low
Ticks more prevalent in Switzerland

Ticks are moving to higher altitudes in Switzerland, with researchers now recording them at up to 2,300 metres
Winter flu wave expected

The Federal Office of Public Health expects Switzerland's flu wave to hit from mid-December, but some vaccine deliveries are already running late
Cross border gun burglaries

French criminal networks are recruiting teenagers on Snapchat and TikTok to break into Swiss gun shops and feed the black market across the border