Photo: Anita Grams, 2013

Prof. em. Dr. Bernd Scholl | Spatial Development

Test planning for the Borregaard industrial site

The closing of the Borregaard wood processing plant in 2008 left almost 110 hectares, one of the largest industrial brownfields in Switzerland, east of the city of Solothurn available for use. For the Canton of Solothurn, the surrounding region and the local communities, this site holds strategic importance for its future spatial and economic development.

The goal of the test planning process is to sound out the various possibilities for the potential uses, given the current and the yet to be defined spatial conditions. Based on urban planning, traffic planning and economic and landscape considerations, this is a good opportunity to determine new uses for the site and to carry out a qualitative and quantitative process to establish future use. The high complexity and importance of the projects demands a planning process that also offers solutions that work when the spatial conditions change.

Four interdisciplinary teams, from the local to the international level, will simultaneously work out scenarios for the future development of the site. The contributions are expected to produce a positioning framework, a definition of an identity for the site, and statements on the use and design, as well as demonstrating the feasibility of implementing the test planning process within a set timeframe. The process will be organised by the property owners, together with the local communities and the Canton of Solothurn. The test planning process, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Bernd Scholl, will be supported by the organisers and an evaluation committee of experts from various disciplines, as well as external experts.

Completed Project