Sub-title: Incorporation of safety distances and measures linked to fuel depots into land-use planning practices  

Country: Switzerland (Geneva)

Date: 2010

Category: Measures

Tags: Siting and Land-Use Planning, Safety Distances, Safety Measures, Prioritizing Risks

Organization(s) involved: Republique et Canton de Geneve  

The details of this good practice can be found at:

The presentation by the Republique et Canton de Geneve at the UNECE Joint seminar on land use planning around hazardous industrial sites (11 - 12 November 2010, The Hague, the Netherlands):

• Presentation in English here
• Presentation in Russian here

Sub-title: Using instruments of spatial planning for the management of operations in neighbourhoods containing industrial sites and housing

Country: Switzerland  

Date: 2010

Category: Legislation, Plans

Tags: Spatial Plans, Land-Use Planning, Planning near to Hazardous Industrial Facilities, Land Use Zones, Planning Authorities

Organization(s) involved: Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects

The details of this good practice can be found at:

The presentation by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects at the UNECE Joint seminar on land use planning around hazardous industrial sites (11 - 12 November 2010, The Hague, the Netherlands):

·       The presentation in English can be found here

·       The presentation in Russian can be found here

Sub-title: Successful coordination between major accident prevention and land use planning experts

Country: Switzerland (Canton of Geneva)

Date: 2009-2022

Category: Project, Measures

Tags: Urban Development Plan, Industrial Safety, Airport Infrastructure, Building Measures for Risk Reduction, Cooperation between Experts, Stakeholder Engagement, Public Participation

Organization(s) involved: Canton of Geneva

The canton of Geneva has a limited geographical area and few building sites. The issues of land use planning and the prevention of major accidents are therefore of particular concern, as shown by a large residential and commercial complex currently under construction in the Quartier de l'Étang in Vernier, in proximity to the airport, and due for completion in 2022. Covering an area of 11 hectares, this former industrial zone will soon be home to 2,500 inhabitants and will offer just as many jobs. The planning approval process had to take into account several constraints such as hazardous activities in the surroundings. For example, the land is surrounded by roads and railways used for the transport of hazardous materials, and it borders large fuel depots and kerosene pipelines. These key pieces of existing infrastructure represent risks involving chemical accidents, hence the importance of complying with the requirements of the Major Accidents Ordinance (MAO). Many measures were put into place for the new developments to enhance safety. For example, the facades of the new large building facing the fuel depot must be built to withstand any major accident, in order to provide better protection for the industrial and craft companies that will be setting up there. These buildings are intended to serve as a protective shield for the new residential buildings that are being developed behind them.

The planning involved several stakeholders: property developers, authorities, operators of the installations, the public, among others. In this case, industrial safety specialists, urban planners, architects and other experts, as well as investors and building owners, cooperated in order to raise awareness of the risks of major accidents and to introduce innovative measures to prevent industrial accidents to the extent possible and minimize the consequences on human health and the environment in the event of an accident. This example highlights the importance of different stakeholders coming together and all speaking the same “language”. 

The details of this good practice can be found at:

• The presentation by the Environment Office of Geneva, Switzerland, at the UNECE Seminar on land-use planning and industrial safety (16-17 May 2018, Mechelen, Belgium), found here (in French)

• The developer’s webpage: here (in French)

• Localized neighbourhood plan, environmental impact report (September 2015), prepared by PCM Operateur Urbain SA (in French)

For information about the EIB and UNECE Information Repository of Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Land-Use Planning and Industrial Safety and to access case studies from other countries, please visit the navigation page.