Suburban and transurban open spaces have a high potential to agglomerate different settlement structures, districts or municipalities – at least this is the latest in the contemporary debates in urban planning and development. Aimed at controlling growth and densification and creating new urban qualities, all over the country visions, concepts and projects for new landscape and open space structures are mushrooming.

But do any of these wonderful creations, e.g. Aarepark, Wiggerpark, Limmattalpark and all the other watercourse parks, ever get past the stage of cycle track signaling? Do green spaces in the urban periphery actually manage to reconcile town and country? What is there supposed to be connected, for whom and how? Is there a way to succeed in the balancing act of offering equally optimal habitats to humans, hares and hawthorns?

What potentials actually lie dormant in the urban periphery, and how can they be kissed awake? What new spaces are emerging between the Campagne genevoise and Glatttalstadt? What qualities and aesthetics are characteristic for them? Which technical and design strategies lead to success?

These and many more burning questions will be discussed in 2011's Rapperswil Meeting, approaching them from different angles and by referencing them to living examples.

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