City of Codes

This dissertation examines the intricate relationship between urban codes and the physical form of Zurich, tracing its evolution from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. The term “urban codes” applies to legal texts, ordinances, city council directives, and municipal regulations that directly or indirectly interacted with or influenced the evolution or existing urban form of Zurich. These urban codes are not just technical guidelines but also reflect the cultural, social, and economic values of the city. They shape the city’s physical characteristics and contain specific conceptions of how it is perceived and planned. They articulate ideas about living spaces, infrastructures, public and private spaces, as well as the integration of work and living spaces on an urban-scale level.

These codes constitute an implicit urban project that interacts with the city’s vision as defined by various stakeholders, including city authorities, financial institutions, associations, and private entities such as architects and urban designers. This research explores these underlying logics of urban development through the lens of its codes; i.e., how they express concepts of urban development, manifest land ownership and property relations, as well as notions of privacy, heritage, and urbanity.

Despite its relevance in social sciences and law, the complex relations between urban codes and urban form are often overlooked in architectural and urban history. This doctoral research project aims to underscore the significance of urban codes in urban design and planning. It investigates the reciprocal influence between urban codes and urban forms, with a particular emphasis on pivotal moments of urban code definition from 1831 to 1946. Consequently, this research presents an alternative urban history of Zurich, emphasizing the role of legislation in the production of the city, i.e., the implicit incentives for urban development and the emergence of specific urban forms through Zurich’s urban codes.

Sanna Kattenbeck