Urban municipalities - IMPI

Urban municipalities account for just 16% of the national territory, but 63% of the population live in them and 75% of jobs are found there. The urban area is comprised of the core municipalities of the agglomeration including the core city with the historic centre. Core municipalities outside the agglomerations also belong to the urban area. The size of a core zone is at least 15 000 IJO and its density at least 500 IJO per km².

Depending on the size of the agglomeration to which a core municipality belongs, a distinction is made between:

• Urban municipalities of a large agglomeration: These are core municipalities of an agglomeration with ≥ 250 000 inhabitants (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich).
• Urban municipalities of a medium-sized agglomeration: These are core municipalities of an agglomeration with 50 000 to 249 999 inhabitants (e.g. Aargau, Bellinzona, Chur, Fribourg, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen or Zug).
• Municipalities of a small or outside agglomeration: These include core municipalities of an agglomeration with <50 000 inhabitants or core municipalities outside an agglomeration (e.g. Brig VS, Frauenfeld TG, Rapperswil-Jona SG, or Stans NW but also Davos GR or Zermatt VS).