Project LASOL

In Switzerland, it takes about 1000 years to form 10cm of soil. However, between 1985 and 2018, it only took a second to lose 1.1 m2 of agricultural land (Sen; OFS, 2021), and urban expansion is not finished. By 2050, the Chamblioux-Bertigny sector, spanning the municipalities of Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Villars-sur-Glâne, and Fribourg, will experience unprecedented urbanization: on this 73ha area, the covering of the N12 motorway, the new cantonal hospital, an activity hub, a new district, and a park will be built. 

Who should do what, when, and how?
Starting from this observation, two institutes of HEIA-FR, iTEC (Institute of the Built Environment) and TRANSFORM (Institute of Architecture), have joined forces to establish a LivingLab and support the professionals responsible for the project's development. The institutes provide their respective expertise and accompany the stakeholders in their reflection to answer the question "Who should do what, when, and how to better take into account the value of soils in spatial planning?"

Through various workshops where project owners, soil protection bodies, and other industry professionals meet, LivingLab members identify key stages of the process in which soil specialists can intervene. Furthermore, LivingLab members aim to identify existing tools and develop new tools in the field of soil, accessible and understandable to all stakeholders, including spatial planning specialists, decision authorities, soil specialists, construction specialists, and public authorities. Finally, LASOL facilitates exchanges between project stakeholders, thereby promoting a shared understanding of sectoral issues, both from the soil and spatial planning perspectives. 

This project will be presented at the centennial of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) on May 20, 2024. 

Project's presentation 

Description of the project at Smart Living Lab Internet site.