Many urban areas in Europe, including Switzerland, are experiencing increased demand for housing due to growing attractiveness and population growth. This results in a shortage of living space in urban areas, forcing many people into challenging situations and requiring them to seek housing outside city boundaries. Urban housing shortage hence also has implications on the regional level beyond the urban cores. Next to an increase in housing demand in areas close to cities, the housing shortage also leads to increased commuting and transport demand. However, it is important to define what is considered a housing shortage. Typically, it refers to a shortage of units in the places where people want or need to be, which can be measured through household formation at a defined geographical level.

As a consequence of the housing supply in urban areas not keeping pace with current demand, the housing shortage is resulting in both negative and positive regional impacts. Therefore, in addition to the question on how cities can address this problem and provide “housing for all” (e.g., the ongoing ESPON European Research Project House for All: Access to Affordable and Quality Housing for All People ), this study targets particularly the regional impacts of housing shortages in urban areas. 

Regarding the geographical scope, the project covers four case studies in four cities: Lille, Hanover, Munich, and Salzburg, supplemented by insights from Flanders and North American metropolitan regions, including their respective regional contexts with current (or past) housing shortages comparable to Swiss cities/regions. 

Policy questions

• How have regions changed over the past 10 years as cities struggle to meet housing demand?
• Where do people move when housing in cities is unavailable, and how does demand shift between urban cores and surrounding regions?
• Who benefits and who is pushed out of high-demand urban areas, and what social impacts result from these movements?
• Are smaller towns and rural centres becoming more attractive, and are they acting mainly as commuting hubs or developing their own economic roles?
• How do housing shortages affect mobility, including commuting patterns, travel behaviour, and transport modes?
• What impact did COVID-19 and remote working have on housing demand, mobility patterns, and regional attractiveness?

More information

Contractor: MCRIT, Spain

Stakeholder: Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE

Contact: 

• Sandra Di Biaggio (Research and Policy Manager)
• Lorenzo Genna (Public Procurement Assistant Manager)