ABSTRACT
The German Building Code states that land shall be used sparingly and with due consideration. The German government has devised several policies in order to reduce the conversion of open space. Sometimes, German municipalities, though illicitly, use the building obligation as a threat to motivate property owners to cooperate. German mayors occasionally mention the building obligation in interviews published in local newspaper articles. The main idea of the building obligation is to force private property owners to build on land that is designated for building. As Hengstermann mentioned for Switzerland, theoretically, the building obligation seems to be a suitable tool to strengthen inner urban development. In comparison to the size and topography of Switzerland, land seems to be anything but scarce in Germany. Land for urban uses and transport may, however, be scarce as it is in other countries, including Switzerland.
