The Basel-City parliament approves three record-breaking high-rise blocks; gap between Switzerland’s rich and poor widens; and more news in our roundup this Friday.
The Basel-City parliament approves three record-breaking high-rise apartment blocks
Like all large municipalities in Switzerland, Basel is experiencing a housing shortage as well.
But as sites for new developments are virtually non-existent in the canton – which comprises the city of Basel and the municipalities of Bettingen and Riehen – Basel is set to grow upwards.
On Wednesday, the cantonal parliament gave the green light to the necessary zoning amendment and the development plan of the Dreispitz site.
At 151 metres high, these high-rises will be the tallest residential buildings in Switzerland.
Zurich government is considering prohibiting smart glasses in swimming pools
The cantonal government is mulling over a ban proposed by several deputies on wearing camera glasses in public facilities.
Their aim is to prevent people from being secretly filmed by inconspicuously integrated cameras.
MPs want to know what measures the government considers appropriate for implementing such a ban in indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, sports halls, and similar facilities.
They also ask whether such a ban could be extended to privately operated yet publicly accessible facilities, such as fitness centers or day-care facilities.
The gap between rich and poor is widening in Switzerland
Switzerland is becoming increasingly divided financially, according to a new survey conducted by Comparis consumer platform.
While approximately three-quarters of the adult population report having sufficient financial resources, low-income households are facing mounting pressure, primarily due to rising health insurance premiums.
According to the survey, four out of ten households with a gross income of up to 4,000 francs find themselves in a worse financial situation now than the previous year. Notably, almost half of these households struggle – at least temporarily – to pay their health insurance premiums.
Michael Kuhn, a finance expert at Comparis, said that a possible solution would be the automatic application of premium reductions for all eligible individuals.
Summer weather is back – again
To say that the weather has been playing tricks in Switzerland lately is an understatement.
Sunny and warm weather was replaced by cooler and wetter days at the beginning of this week, but now the shift is toward summer temps again.
Starting on Monday, temperatures will rise to between 24 and 27C – so not quite as high as during the heatwave episodes, but still warm.
Meteorologist Peter Wick forecasts highs of up to 28C in Valais and the Basel region.
Predominantly sunny and warm weather is expected to last until at least September 23rd.
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