Zurich First-Hand27 September ballot – five yeses in the city, stricter rules for high-rises
The city approved all five municipal proposals, and in the high-rise dispute it backed the city parliament’s version. Kreis 12 rejected two of them. On the cantonal teachers’ law, the city voted differently from the canton.
The five municipal proposals
| Proposal | Yes | No | Yes share |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-rises, parliament’s version (A) | 65,852 | 39,432 | 62.5 % |
| High-rises, city executive’s version (B) | 39,347 | 65,494 | 37.5 % |
| Pay for city parliament members | 62,015 | 47,409 | 56.7 % |
| CHF 80m framework credit for transit planning | 83,423 | 27,911 | 74.9 % |
| Kunsthaus: +CHF 7.3m a year | 61,025 | 49,007 | 55.5 % |
| New legal basis for the asylum organisation (AOZ) | 79,122 | 30,173 | 72.4 % |
Turnout was between 45.4 and 47.8 per cent, depending on the proposal.
High-rises. Both versions tighten the rules for tall buildings (Hochhäuser) and allow no extra building volume. The parliament’s version, which won, shrinks the area where high-rises are allowed, especially buildings up to 40 metres. Towers of 60 metres or more need a design plan (Gestaltungsplan) approved by the city parliament, and any extra floor space they gain must be 100 per cent affordable housing. The city executive’s version (B) would have gone less far and was rejected, so the tie-break question did not matter.
Parliament pay. The fixed allowance for city parliament members rises to CHF 500 a month and meeting fees are adjusted: about CHF 20,000 a year per member instead of CHF 16,000. An earlier proposal had been rejected on 9 February 2025.
Transit credit. CHF 80 million for planning extensions of the public transport network and operational improvements such as turning loops. The city executive decides on individual projects up to CHF 5 million, the city parliament above that.
Kunsthaus. Funding for the Zurich Art Society and the Kunsthaus foundation rises by CHF 7.3 million to about CHF 25.8 million a year. Residents of the Canton of Zurich will be able to visit all exhibitions for free on four additional days a year.
AOZ. The Asylum Organisation Zurich, which runs accommodation and supports refugees on the city’s behalf, gets a new legal basis in the municipal code and an ordinance, replacing rules from 2006.
By district
Yes share in per cent; turnout for the transit credit.
| Kreis | High-rises A | Pay | Transit | Kunsthaus | AOZ | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1+2 | 60.2 | 54.9 | 74.0 | 54.7 | 70.0 | 48.2 |
| 3 | 66.4 | 63.4 | 78.1 | 60.1 | 78.2 | 47.9 |
| 4+5 | 64.5 | 67.9 | 81.3 | 63.9 | 82.8 | 47.5 |
| 6 | 61.0 | 61.0 | 77.7 | 59.4 | 77.0 | 56.5 |
| 7+8 | 54.6 | 51.6 | 72.8 | 56.7 | 69.4 | 55.9 |
| 9 | 65.7 | 53.5 | 72.8 | 50.9 | 69.5 | 44.2 |
| 10 | 65.2 | 59.1 | 75.8 | 56.2 | 74.8 | 54.1 |
| 11 | 63.2 | 50.8 | 72.0 | 49.1 | 65.4 | 40.4 |
| 12 | 65.9 | 47.1 | 68.8 | 44.0 | 62.8 | 34.9 |
| City | 62.5 | 56.7 | 74.9 | 55.5 | 72.4 | 47.8 |
Kreis 12 (Schwamendingen) rejected the pay rise and the Kunsthaus credit; Kreis 11 rejected the Kunsthaus credit. Kreis 12 also had the lowest turnout, Kreis 6 the highest.
Canton and Confederation: how the city voted
| Proposal | City of Zurich | Overall result |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers’ employment law (canton) | 55.8 % yes | 40.8 % yes – rejected |
| Counter-proposal “Self-determination at the end of life, also in care homes” (canton) | 76.1 % yes | 68.1 % yes – approved |
| Neutrality initiative (federal) | 16.9 % yes | 29.8 % yes – rejected |
| Food security initiative (federal) | 38.4 % yes | 27.5 % yes – rejected |
On the teachers’ law, the city would have said yes, but the canton said no. How often the city votes differently from Switzerland is shown on Zurich in numbers.