Integrated Urban Solutions

Challenges for the cities of the future

At the same time, demographic developments and migration movements are presenting cities and municipalities with major challenges. According to UN-Habitat, almost 70% of people worldwide will live in urban areas by 2050. The effects of climate change, such as global warming, are more noticeable there than in rural areas.

Cities are at the center of numerous social challenges

Numerous challenges are concentrated in cities

Urbanization

By 2050, the world's urban population will heave reached 6,7 billion people, an increase of 2,5 billion compared to today's population.

Climate change

Cities account over 70% of global CO2 emissions, while at the same time they are very vulnerable to climate change events.

Social transformation

Our way of life will constantly change, The future 25h-society requires residential areas that are places of work and leisure. The dominant way of life is shifting, from the family to the 1-person household.

We therefore need new, interdisciplinary approaches to urban development in order to master these upcoming tasks. With Integrated Urban Solutions, Drees & Sommer Switzerland is pooling its comprehensive urban development expertise and developing concrete solutions for the future. We see the city as a complex system that must be viewed holistically. In concrete terms, this means that spatial, economic, ecological, functional, social and aesthetic aspects must be taken into account in the development of urban spaces.

Our solutions are always user-oriented, location-based and integrated

Energy

How do we generate, transport, and store energy? How can we save energy using more efficient technology? How do we ensure efficiency and safety? Which sites do we use to generate energy?

Water

Heavy rainfalls and dry spells present us with new challenges. How do we incorporate sustainable infrastructure and sponge city principles into our cities? How do we reduce drinking water consumption, use rainwater, and protect ourselves from extreme weather?

Climate

How do we make global warming manageable? How do future buildings contribute to the solution with a minimized carbon footprint and – in the medium and long term – with a beneficial footprint? How do we use climate-adapted construction?

Waste and resources

How do we handle raw materials properly? How do we reduce land consumption? How do we increase the use of ecological materials in interior design? How do we organize material flows in cycles – such as with Cradle to Cradle®?

Mobility

How can different modes of transport be meaningfully linked to form mobility networks? How do we manage to build up the necessary structural infrastructure for new drives, such as e-mobility or hydrogen?

City structure and real estate

What sustainability criteria do we use to plan our cities and buildings? How do we succeed in transforming the portfolio? Will our facades all be green in the future and all our roofs energy producers? Will we all live in high-rise buildings in the future?

Biodiversity

How do we combine humans and nature and incorporate biodiversity into buildings and cities? Do we need the edible city? What does bees’ dying off mean for us? Does the word “urban jungle” take on a new meaning?

Digitization

Entire neighborhoods and buildings, individual rooms, components or objects are migrating into the “Internet of Things. ” Many new business models are emerging. How do we network large-scale structures and everyday objects?

Finances

Which subsidies are eligible, and what are the requirements for green bonds? How do we use this information to make urban development cost-effective and feasible?

Society

Numerous trends have an effect on life in urban areas. Will we visit shopping malls in the future, or will we let drones deliver to us? Will we still work in offices tomorrow or only from home?

INTERDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE FOR LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES

City districts play a key role in the transformation of society towards greater sustainability. They form the space in which people live and work. This is where social networks are created, urban infrastructure is operated and urban planning, landscape and architectural visions are developed.

Our primary goal is therefore to create a liveable, sustainable and intelligent urban future that preserves the unique identity of cities and places. This requires sustainable effects and synergies for urban development. This requires the combination of ecological, economic, social, innovative and technical solutions, taking into account users and local conditions.

How can this be achieved? Neighbourhoods can be redesigned and optimized through progressive approaches. New developments in the context of redensification or brownfield development offer forward-looking opportunities. Existing urban districts must also be upgraded, for example through energy optimization of buildings, multi-coding of open spaces, redensification and new mobility and usage concepts.

With integrated strategies for the sustainable development of spaces

For decades, we have stood for successful planning, consulting and implementation of complex projects in urban areas, real estate and development consulting and infrastructure management. Are you a developer or responsible for municipal administration? Then we would be happy to support you with our expertise and offer you:

Participatory strategy development for cities and regions in the form of city labs and stakeholder workshops
Potential analyses such as inventory analyses, mobility studies, economic studies, climate analysis studies, etc.
Integrated development concepts for sites and existing districts with a transdisciplinary approach to urban planning, energy, water, biodiversity and open spaces
Development of spatial visions for the future including guiding principles and goals for cities and neighborhoods based on analytical and evidence-based premises
Preliminary studies, planning and feasibility studies in the field of urban planning and spatial development