Basel: SBB wants to develop the Wolf site into an urban quarter

SBB is the landowner of the Wolf Basel site and wants to develop the site into a residential and working area in the medium term. In addition to the existing logistics uses, offices, areas for services and commerce and as many apartments as possible are to be built.

The results of the study commissioned last year by SBB with the support of the Canton of Basel-Stadt are now available. According to a statement from SBB, the studies showed that a high proportion of residential space could be realized on the site, supplemented by logistics, commercial, office space and public-oriented uses such as retail and restaurants.

Existing buildings, in particular the historic buildings in the center of the site, could be preserved and thus contribute to the identity of the district. The logistics buildings should be spatially separated from the other uses; overall, access for pedestrians and cyclists should be improved, the report continues.

The assessment committee, which included representatives from SBB, the Canton of Basel-Stadt and experts from the fields of urban planning, architecture and landscape, recommends combining the two approaches of Christ & Gantenbein and EM2N for the next steps and working out an urban planning concept with a development plan. These results should be available by the end of 2018.