Issue 03 of TOUCH – Tactics of Urban Change addresses the question of how cities can be designed and transformed to remain livable in the future. At its core lies a strikingly simple, almost self-evident idea: transforming the motorway spur S.N. 1.4.1 between Zürich West and Altstetten Nord into an urban boulevard.

In doing so, many issues of sustainable urbanism find convincing answers — such as affordable housing, the reduction of heat islands, shading and greening of public and private spaces, continuous pathways for slow traffic, as well as the reconfiguration of road space that has so far primarily served automobiles.

The publication not only presents the results of the master’s thesis, but also offers a broader reflection on the principles of sustainable and context-sensitive urban development.