Mobility Strategy St.Galler Rheintal

The St. Gallen Rhine Valley is one of the most dynamic economic regions in Switzerland (67’000 residents / 31’000 jobs). Most of the Rheintal population both lives and works within the region. The aim of the mobility strategy is to create a planning tool for the future spatial and transport development of the region. This strategy forms the basis for the 4th-generation Agglomeration Program. In the first phase, an overall vision was developed that clearly distinguishes between settlement and non‑settlement zones. Its goal is to keep generous natural and recreational landscapes free from development and to promote urban infill. This vision also orchestrates coordination between urban growth and mobility: settlement development is oriented toward efficient public‑transport hubs, and commercial/industrial zones are directly accessible via highway connections, thereby avoiding heavy traffic in residential areas.

Based on this overarching vision, sub-strategies were developed for spatial planning, motorized individual traffic (MIV), public transport (ÖV), and slow mobility (LV). The spatial sub-strategy divides the settlement area into zones with either urban or village character, each with three different density categories. In the urban zones, dynamic development is actively encouraged. In the village-character zones, the focus is on gradual improvement and development of existing structures.