Urban Infill Ostermundigen

Ostermundigen is part of the first suburban belt of the city of Bern. Due to its central location, good transport accessibility (motorway, railway), and the attractive surrounding landscape, the municipality is under considerable development pressure. To preserve the landscape, promote sustainable urban development, and reduce public investment costs, inward urban development has been given priority. A densification strategy was developed to guide this process.

The strategy demonstrates how densification can, on the one hand, create qualities and added value for the entire population, and on the other, ensure social and spatial stability. Densification is applied very precisely in key but complex locations. A central focus is the strengthening of Bernstrasse, the municipality’s main traffic artery. Targeted densification along the first row of buildings allows for responses to the specific requirements of this urban street, and the associated opportunities—such as visibility, accessibility, and footfall—are consciously leveraged. Urban nodes are created at the intersections with neighborhood axes—lively meeting points, mobility hubs, and urban landmarks. Through the scenarios “New Start” and “Stepwise Densification Within the Existing Fabric”, the various impacts and opportunities of inward urban development are illustrated.

Through this process, existing identities are reinforced. Between the railway station and Bern’s Galgenfeld neighborhood, Ostermundigen becomes an urban district with mixed uses, cooperative housing, and a new city park. In the town center, Ostermundigen takes on the character of a small town with fine-grained, high-density building structures. Outlying green residential neighborhoods without a need for renovation are considered “areas at rest”, where Ostermundigen retains its rural and village-like character.

Finally, the two most important commercial zones are particularly notable. Their locational qualities are used for clear profiling: near the motorway access, a representative business district for large enterprises is developed, while the commercial zone south of the residential quarters evolves into a dense mixed-use small-business district (SMEs). The strategy is supported by clear, illustrative plans and many spatial visualizations, enabling constructive public participation.