The Metrobild (image or concept plan) for the Metropolitan Region of Zürich has been commissioned by the Metropolitan Conference of Zürich. This conference is a cooperation of municipalities, cantons and cities in the region of Zürich with the aim to further improve the region and its location factors.

The metropolitan area of Zürich is an urban area in the center of Europe which is of essential importance for the Swiss economy. Together with the agglomeration of Lucerne it contains 1.9 mio. inhabitants and 900’000 jobs in 238 municipalities located in 8 cantons. About 60% of the inhabitants and jobs are found in the core agglomeration of Zürich.
The image is showing Zürich as a diverse mosaic of locations which in its totality is competing in the global market of locations. Specific areas in the larger region are cooperating and competing at the same time (coopetition).
Zürich is the region’s center and its gate to the world. But most of the development opportunities are located outside the city area. In order to preserve the vitality of the mosaic of locations and to reinforce its diversity, such developments need to be better coordinated.
The image of the region is mediating between different scales; it is reducing complexity and serving as a strategic tool which enables the dialogue between different stakeholders and professional disciplines.
We describe the image as the combination of structure, gestalt and form: The structure of the region is defined by the terrain, by zoning and most importantly infrastructure. Structure is controlled by the spatial and infrastructure planning of the cantons. Its gestalt is based on the identities of the different villages, quarters or neighborhoods, and their potential for change. This potential we defined by reserves of building land and transport capacity, and by the elasticity of a local identity when changing. Form is in the domain of the architects or landscape architects and includes public spaces, parks, streets or landmark buildings.
The metropolitan region thus is seen as an archipelago of form in a sea of gestalt organized by the currents of structure.
Based on this framework, a series of strategic development opportunities become visible which have been illustrated and explained in the project. One example is the concept “Science Valley” for the Glattal area stretching from Affoltern to Uster with the historic country roads as an urban backbone.