Initial situation

The City of Zurich is involved in a variety of functional and institutional relationships. It rarely acts alone, but rather in cooperation with other involved parties, whether they be public bodies, private companies, non-government organisations, grassroot groups or property owners. Partner cooperation and the search for mutually acceptable solutions is required.
Zurich is the core city of the most important Swiss economic area and is considered to be a 'Global City'. In the regional and supra-regional context, however, its power to influence decisions remains somewhat weak, for which the Zurich Metropolitan Conference should, above all, provide some assistance. At an international level, the challenge consists of being able to benefit within the context of city partnerships and targeted contacts from experiences made elsewhere. There is also the element of passing on its own experience.

Strategies

• The City maintains good cooperations with community associations and business
  federations.
• The City approaches major projects, such as urban planning and community development concepts, with a participatory attitude and in dialogue with the population and the property owners.
• In the case of major projects, the City increasingly looks for suitable partner organisations and forms of cooperation; it also offers its services to surrounding municipalities and cities.
• Within the context of the Swiss Cities Associations and the Zurich Metropolitan Conference, the City promotes better framework conditions and stronger positioning for cities and metropolitan areas.
• The City seeks collaborative partnerships with the Canton and the surrounding communities, as well as in existing inter-municipal organisations in order to achieve synergies and efficient cooperation.
• The City maintains contacts with other cities in Switzerland and other European countries and mutually exchanges know-how, takes part in their city partnerships and in cooperative international projects (see Action Area 07).

Leading projects and initiatives

• Strengthening the cooperation with local residents and organisations within the context of the four-year-goal of Citizen Participation in Urban Development
• Advocacy for the interests of the cities in the Swiss Cities Association, in the Zurich
  Metropolitan Area Association, in the Tripartite Agglomeration Conference and in the Association of the Mayors of the Canton Zurich (GPV)
• Ensuring exchanges with surrounding municipalities through regular meetings in the context of the RZU and the GPV
• Realisation of joint projects in the area of security in cooperation with surrounding municipalities and the Canton
• Exchange of knowledge and experience within international networks, above all in Europe, and with existing city partnerships
• Involvement with cities that need to catch-up in certain areas and in positioning in global networks with sustainable