Guideline for Development Planning and Accident Prevention

The Canton of Lucerne is a dynamic area whose population and economy have shown steady growth. In light of this growth, the canton’s development plan expressly provides for urban concentration in city centres and along the canton’s most important transport routes. One consequence of this development is a narrow spatial convergence of various types of property use. Indeed, increased urban concentration, i.e. higher numbers of residents and workers per area, can increase the risk associated with hazard-relevant properties.

Urban planners often seek to maximise flexibility when it comes to the future use of areas under development, while those responsible for accident prevention tend to focus on the establishment of clear specifications and planning security, especially when taking account of hazard-relevant properties.

The Canton of Lucerne commissioned EBP to develop solutions that would enable it to take better account of accident prevention concerns in the context of development planning. The conflicts that can arise between urban development and technical risks are to be detected at an early stage and resolved during project planning and implementation.

The provided support has culminated in a guideline that specifies ways of reconciling the two sets of concerns at various development planning levels. The guideline also offers a catalogue of measures supported by practical examples.