Grapevine

Housing could help us improve our well-being and reach net zero by 2040, scientist says

EPFL scientist Sascha Nick has outlined a completely new scenario for what housing and neighborhoods might look like in Switzerland in the coming decades. His recommendations would put the country on track to meet its net-zero target while supporting the well-being of residents and communities.

"Our scenario calls for concrete changes that are radical but also necessary," says Nick, a scientist at EPFL's Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Economics, within the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC).

A physicist and economist by training, today Nick specializes in societal transition pathways. His novel vision for the future of Swiss housing incorporates key aspects of community life and is consistent with Switzerland's climate targets for 2050.

His study, published in Frontiers in Sustainability, was carried out as part of the SWEET SWICE research program.