Summary

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Swiss Landscape Protection Foundation have developed a new method for systematically recording characteristic Swiss landscapes on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU). The method divides Switzerland into 100-meter squares and assigns each a corresponding landscape type – ranging from near-natural landscapes such as forest pastures and wetlands to settlement or industrial-dominated areas. A prototype was developed for the Canton of Zug and tested in the Cantons of Vaud and Graubünden. The results were published in a WSL report.

People

Topics

  • Landscape protection and landscape development
  • Digital cartography and geodata
  • Climate change and landscape change
  • Spatial planning and regional identity

Clarus Lead

Swiss landscapes are changing due to new construction, afforestation, and climate change – a development that planning authorities will need to monitor systematically in the future. The new landscape character typology creates a digital foundation for documenting regional landscape characteristics and preserving their quality. By combining both objective geodata and subjective perception data from the Swiss Landscape Observation Program (LABES), the method provides planning authorities with a practical tool for implementing Swiss landscape policy.

Detailed Summary

Researchers use existing classifications such as the catalog of characteristic cultural landscapes of Switzerland as well as digital maps and geodata on land use. By combining these data sources, a spatial classification system was created that comprehensively depicts Switzerland. In the Canton of Zug, for example, 22 different landscape types were identified and mapped.

A central feature of the method is the integration of perception data: because landscapes are experienced by people, insights from the LABES program were incorporated, which captures how the population perceives the character of their landscapes. These subjective data were cross-checked with local experts to ensure validity. In the Canton of Zug, the results show that wetland and fruit meadow landscapes are perceived as particularly characteristic and identity-forming.

The method addresses a central concern of Swiss landscape policy: to preserve the diversity of characteristic landscapes and elements while simultaneously making change processes documentable. The prototype has already been implemented and mapped for three cantons (Zug, Vaud, Graubünden).

Key Statements

  • A new digital method enables the systematic recording of characteristic Swiss landscape types based on 100-meter squares.
  • The method combines objective geodata with subjective perception data to document regional landscape identity.
  • Planning authorities receive an instrument for monitoring landscape changes and for targeted landscape development.

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality & Validation: How was the accuracy of the 100-meter classification verified, and what error rates result from the rasterization? Are the validation results with local experts documented and published?

  2. Representativeness of Perception Data: The LABES program captures citizen perspectives – how is the sample composed, and are marginalized or less visible landscape experiences adequately represented?

  3. Causality of Changes: The method documents that landscapes are changing (new construction, afforestation, climate change), but can it differentiate between these causes and isolate their respective effects?

  4. Practical Implementation in Spatial Planning: What concrete planning decisions should cantons and municipalities make based on this typology, and are there already binding guidelines or recommendations?

  5. Scalability & Maintenance: The prototype was tested for three cantons – how resource-intensive is the expansion to all 26 cantons, and who bears the costs for regular updates?

  6. Conflicts of Interest in Perception: Can development interests (e.g., construction lobby) influence the collection of perception data, and how is the independence of respondents ensured?

Bibliography

Primary Source: Package Switzerland-EU (Bilateral III) – New Landscape Character Typology for Switzerland – news.admin.ch, 30.06.2026

Publication: A New Landscape Character Typology for Switzerland – WSL Reports 190(2026)

Verification Status: ✓ 30.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 30.06.2026