Herisau: observed built density
Municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden · FSO no. 3001 · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 4’532
16 % of the canton
- Municipal zones
- 13
- Median utilization
- 68 %
Canton: 52 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.43
Canton: 0.20
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 10.9 m
Canton: 10.3 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 2.9
Canton: 2.7
Switzerland: 2.3
About Herisau
Herisau is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The parcel data lists 4’532 parcels in 13 municipal zone types. The zone types with the most parcels are Wohnzone (1’844), Landwirtschaftszone (681) and Wohn- und Gewerbezone (672).
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 68 %; half of the parcels lie between 9 % and 123 %. The canton median is 52 %, so Herisau sits above it.
The median building height is 10.9 m at 2.9 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.43. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 151 % (364 parcels), higher than the 104 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels | Median utilization |
|---|---|---|
| Wohnzone | 1’844 | 83 % |
| Landwirtschaftszone | 681 | 25 % |
| Wohn- und Gewerbezone | 672 | 107 % |
| Kernzone | 355 | 80 % |
| Wald | 336 | 0 % |
| übriges Gemeindegebiet | 321 | 0 % |
| Grünzone nach altem Baugesetz | 96 | 38 % |
| Gewerbezone | 73 | 69 % |
| Zone für öffentliche Bauten und Anlagen | 71 | 52 % |
| Industriezone | 65 | 7 % |
| Gewässer | 13 | 0 % |
| Intensiverholungszone | 3 | 10 % |
| Other zones (1) | 2 | - |
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 4’502 parcels with a value, half lie between 9 % and 123 %. The median is 68 % and the mean 99 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %39 %
- 50 % to below 100 %28 %
- 100 % to below 150 %16 %
- 150 % and above17 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 4’501 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.08 and 0.82. The median is 0.43 and the mean 0.57.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5056 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0025 %
- 1.00 to below 1.5010 %
- 1.50 and above8 %
Building height
Of the 3’234 parcels with a value, half lie between 9.2 m and 13.0 m. The median is 10.9 m and the mean 11.4 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m10 %
- 8 m to below 12 m56 %
- 12 m to below 20 m31 %
- 20 m and above2 %
Number of floors
Of the 2’514 parcels with a value, half lie between 2.1 and 3.5. The median is 2.9 and the mean 2.9.
Share of parcels by range
- below 25 %
- 2 to below 330 %
- 3 to below 556 %
- 5 and above8 %
Building age cohorts
Mean volume utilization of the parcels built inside each window, from all years on record down to the last five. The windows overlap: the last 20 years include the last 5.
| Built in | Parcels | Mean utilization |
|---|---|---|
| All years | 4’532 | 104 % |
| Last 60 years | 1’466 | 119 % |
| Last 40 years | 1’065 | 127 % |
| Last 20 years | 364 | 151 % |
| Last 15 years | 277 | 154 % |
| Last 10 years | 182 | 155 % |
| Last 5 years | 77 | 160 % |
How to read this page
room shows observed built density: what has been built on the parcels, not what the zoning permits. Volume utilization (ratioV) compares the built volume of a parcel with the reference volume of its municipal zone type. The floor-area ratio (GFZ) is floor area divided by parcel area; building height and number of floors are taken from the buildings on a parcel. Figures pool all municipal zones of the area. Medians and quartiles are read from bins 10 points (ratioV), 0.1 (GFZ), 2 m (height) and 1 floor wide, so they are exact to within one bin; means are exact. A parcel counts in a distribution only when the parcel data has a value for it. The floors distribution leaves out parcels without a building (0 floors).