Planning for Urban Biodiversity: Lessons From Swiss Municipal Land-use Plan Revisions
About the Event:
The Acopian Center for the Environment, in collaboration with WSL FORACCA and with support from the Government of Switzerland, hosted a virtual talk as part of its ongoing FORACCA Talk Series. The talk, titled “Planning for urban biodiversity: Lessons from Swiss municipal land-use plan revisions,” will explore best practices in sustainable urban planning. The event is also part of the Road to COP17 Initiative, a year-long series of activities in Armenia to boost national awareness and capacities ahead of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, to take place in Yerevan in October 2026.
Local land-use planning plays a key role in shaping urban and peri-urban landscapes, influencing how biodiverse, healthy, and resilient cities are. In Switzerland, municipalities use building and zoning regulations to define where development can occur and which areas should be preserved as green space. Yet, little is known about which biodiversity-friendly standards are adopted and when they are introduced during plan revisions. The talk will share insights from the Swiss experience as a basis for dialogue on how local planning systems can better support biodiversity conservation.
More about the AUA Acopian Center and WSL FORACCA Collaboration visit here.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Stephanie Schwab Cammarano
Political Scientist, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL
Dr. Stephanie Schwab Cammarano is a political scientist who explores how human and ecological needs can be better aligned through local planning and sustainability governance. With a strong background in qualitative, policy, and applied research, she investigates how local actors and institutions shape sustainable transformations in urban and rural contexts, focusing on barriers and enablers to environmental transition. After completing her Ph.D. in political communication at the University of Zurich, she worked in policy research and consulting before joining the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape WSL. There, she examines how biodiversity, building culture, and public services can be combined to support resilient and vibrant communities.
