Jardin du Paradis: the power of public land for densification

How to redevelop a former industrial area into an attractive and liveable neighbourhood? Many cities deal with this challenge, as these areas are no longer used for their original purpose and show enormous potential for transformation and densification. The case in Biel gives us a real-life example of how to attract investors and developers while keeping control over development.  

Biel has a long tradition of active land policy, using public landownership as a strategic tool to boost economic development, attract new economic actors, and control land uses. This was precisely the city's aim in this project: to attract private actors willing to invest in this peripheral area while keeping control and increasing the overall attractiveness of the neighbourhood.  

For this reason, the city established a zone with planning obligation ('Zone mit Planungspflicht') on the land. This type of zoning made a detailed land-use plan ('Überbauungsordnung') mandatory before any new development. But the planning process only took off when an institutional investor purchased a plot to develop rental housing as an investment asset, and a multinational watchmaking brand announced its wish to build a new HQ in Biel.  

Taking advantage of its own land, the city of Biel organized a land swap that enabled the development plans of all actors involved and generated a profit for the city to be reinvested in the development of a new public park. Simultaneously, the city anchored the public interest in the new detailed land-use plans negotiated with the landowners. By combining several public and private law instruments and strategically and proactively intervening in the planning process, the city enabled densification through private investment while maintaining control.