The northern Swiss town of Baden has been awarded the annual Wakker Prize by the Swiss Heritage Society for improving the quality of life of its residents.
The town of around 20,000 inhabitants was lauded for freeing its old town of traffic and investing in improving its public spaces.
“Thanks to the willingness of the authorities and the citizens of Baden, pedestrian-friendly streets and squares free of traffic now make the town centre a pleasant place to live,” said the Swiss Heritage Society on Tuesday.
“The town’s historic parks and gardens are carefully maintained according to the principles of heritage preservation and new public spaces have been created in the development areas.”
The Swiss Heritage SocietyExternal link also lauded the town’s “visionary policy”, the “continuous planning” and the “willingness of the citizens to vote for budgets to make the town centre more attractive”. The town’s commitment to invest in zones outside the town centre that are not necessarily profitable came in for special praise.
The official presentation of the prize, worth CHF20,000 ($20,600), will take place on June 27 at a public ceremony. Every year, Swiss Heritage awards the Wakker Prize to a municipality or, exceptionally, to a cultural organisation,External linkas was the case in 2018.
More
More
Swiss Politics
A walk through an award-winning town
This content was published on
Located across the river from its sister city in Germany, also named Rheinfelden, the Swiss town in canton Aargau was also praised for having had regular contact with its German counterpart regarding planning issues. According to the Swiss Heritage Society, Rheinfelden decided a decade ago against building isolated developments, choosing instead to include more aspects…
Swiss foreign minister praises improved relations with Italy
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis expressed his satisfaction on Tuesday with the good relations that Switzerland has developed with Italy.
Boating and swimming to be banned on part of River Aare in Bern
This content was published on
From September, the city and canton of Bern will be carrying out extensive construction work on the River Aare to protect against flooding and to renovate the Marzili outdoor pool.
Moutier: foreigners familiarise themselves with right to vote
This content was published on
From 2026, Moutier will be part of the Swiss canton of Jura, gaining more than 1,000 new voters. On Monday around 50 people were informed about their new rights.
Switzerland ‘more than ready’ to host Ukraine summit
This content was published on
Switzerland is more than ready to host a summit between Russia and Ukraine, says Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, highlighting Switzerland's expertise in this area.
This content was published on
Every second aircraft at Zurich Airport took off late this summer. However, the situation has already improved significantly compared to last year.
Swiss union federation demands average wage increase of 2%
This content was published on
The employees' umbrella organisation Travailsuisse is demanding an average wage increase of two percent for all employees in the coming year. This would cover the rising cost of living and make up for wage shortfalls in recent years.
‘Dr Pump’ sentenced for administering unauthorised substances
This content was published on
A Bern Regional Court has found the Solothurn doctor known as "Dr Pump" guilty of offences against the Sports Promotion Law. The man had administered unauthorised substances to patients.
This content was published on
Volunteering can have a positive effect on mental health. According to a survey conducted in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, people who volunteer for others also strengthen themselves.
This content was published on
Twint is being used more and more frequently to make purchases at the till or transfer money to friends using a smartphone. By the middle of the year, the payment app already had more than six million users in Switzerland.
This content was published on
The meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin should take place in Europe, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. He is calling for it to be held in Geneva.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Learning how to improve life in the suburbs
This content was published on
Stopping urban sprawl involves turning suburbs into mini-cities. That’s the latest collective thinking from a pool of top experts.
Small-town Swiss theatre group wins prestigious heritage award
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Wakker Prize for heritage preservation has been awarded to the theatre and dance group “Nova Fundaziun Origen”.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.