Why are there no skyscrapers in Switzerland?

Everyone knows that there is housing crisis in Swiss. Instead of converting farm land or forests into residential purpose, why not build higher buildings? I know highrises will lower quality of life, but have people unable to find affordable housing is much worse

Are there really so many homeless people in Zurich and Geneva (and more than London or New York - which do have skyscrapers)?

That is just personal view. There are many skyscraper fans. I am not talking about whether it is beautiful or not. It is just the housing situation is getting worse here. So why higher buildings are not a solution? In old times, landlords in Geneva built an extra floor to accommdate flood of immigrants. Why not in modernt time

There are a lot of people who can not find decent housing in Geneva. There are even more people who are forced to pay outragous rent just because the supply cannot meet the demand

I am sorry, but Hong Kong has the most beautiful skyline in the world.

No, there is a housing crisis in SOME areas of Switzerland, but hardly in Switzerland in general.

Stop letting in so many expats, problem solved!

Tom

Maybe you are right. I am talking about Geneva in particular. There is not enough land. I never saw so many apartment blocks being built so close to the airport. I would rather live in highrise than being forced to live in apartment just a few hundred meters from the airport

Swiss banks fire people left and right. Office space is no problem in Zurich even without new buildings. Right now we have discussions how to turn office space into apartments and so on.

How about a high-rise next to the airport? - Should get some cheap rents for the risk involved with living there.

There is a housing "crisis" in Switzerland(I am referring to the Lake Zurich area actually when I wrote this) not because there is no room to build, but because builders have been for the past several years just building more luxury based apartments, and not middle or low income, and the more expensive places can be easily filled with tenants(or atleast that is the end logic). Where if you go to an apartment showing at a resonably or low priced apartment there will be a line out the door, personal experience, and they just keep building the expensive ones.

And there is land to build on, but say on Lake Zurich, everyone seems to want to be in view of the lake. Then you drive just above the ridge, and the rent and availability of land changes. Putting up skyscrapers isn't going to solve the greed of devilopers just trying to make and sell high end apartments, and I seriously doubt building, a building with such views of the lake and area around Zurich will do anything to reduce the cost of getting an apartment in or around Zurich.

For people who like skylines filled with skyscrapers. Some people like nature as well.

I don't know the Zurich area. But in Geneva, there is not much land at all. They are building blocks of apartments so close to the airport. Why cannot they build taller buildings instead of forcing people to live just a few hundred meters from the airport.

Well, because they ARE building blocks of apartments all over the city, not just by the airport.

Look around and you will see, they are as well adding floors on other building. There is quite a lot of construction going around.

That said, the rent will NOT go down. Ain't gonna happen.

Hmmmmm.....

Well the title of your thread is "Why are there no skyscrapers in Switzerland".

No one is forced to live anywhere they don't want to here, except maybe married people with trailing spouses. That's another issue.

There are more towns then Geneva and Zurich, and the solution to affordable rent is not massive buildings. If we are talking in terms on what is appealing to the eye, I rather see a massive mountain then long rectangular shape with some neon advertising, skylights, blipping red ligths for air planes, and so on. Just a personal opinion.

If one doesn't like living next to the airport, they can move to another town and learn to appreciate the great public transportation that is available here in Switzerland.

I prefer HONG KONG. and the apartments in these skycrapers there are more expensive than in Zurich

How does that help your arguement if we built more skyscrapers it would lead to more affordable apartments?

Airport is just an example. It is easy to say to move, but it is truly a nightmare to find anything in Geneva nowadays. I just came across an article in Swissinfo. They are converting previous indutrial sites to residential buildings. I truly cannot understand. You said there is enough land. If it is the case, why does anyone want to convert industrial sites (hazardous to heath) into apartments?

Yes, if Swiss let more people live in their aeroplanes, there would be less of a housing crisis. Buf ever since Lufthansa took over they've been so unreasonable.

I am not using this to support my argument. I am saying skyscrapers are not ugly to many people. AND this is not my focus here. Even it is ugly, it is still a solution to the housing crisis