Biel/Bienne: observed built density
Municipality in the canton of Bern · FSO no. 371 · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 7’733
2 % of the canton
- Municipal zones
- 12
- Median utilization
- 74 %
Canton: 32 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.71
Canton: 0.09
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 12.8 m
Canton: 9.5 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 3.0
Canton: 2.3
Switzerland: 2.3
About Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a municipality in the canton of Bern. The parcel data lists 7’733 parcels in 12 municipal zone types. The zone types with the most parcels are M2 (2’782), M3 (1’417) and M4 (1’105).
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 74 %; half of the parcels lie between 18 % and 128 %. The canton median is 32 %, so Biel/Bienne sits above it.
The median building height is 12.8 m at 3.0 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.71. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 146 % (335 parcels), higher than the 107 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels | Median utilization |
|---|---|---|
| M2 | 2’782 | 88 % |
| M3 | 1’417 | 74 % |
| M4 | 1’105 | 83 % |
| Keine ~~Aucune | 971 | 72 % |
| VZ | 614 | 0 % |
| ZOEN | 206 | 1 % |
| M5 | 195 | 195 % |
| Uebrige | 141 | 0 % |
| A | 135 | 71 % |
| GR | 62 | 0 % |
| M6plus | 53 | 183 % |
| LWZ | 52 | 0 % |
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 7’689 parcels with a value, half lie between 18 % and 128 %. The median is 74 % and the mean 102 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %36 %
- 50 % to below 100 %28 %
- 100 % to below 150 %16 %
- 150 % and above20 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 7’688 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.19 and 1.49. The median is 0.71 and the mean 1.18.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5038 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0024 %
- 1.00 to below 1.5013 %
- 1.50 and above25 %
Building height
Of the 5’875 parcels with a value, half lie between 10.2 m and 16.0 m. The median is 12.8 m and the mean 13.3 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m10 %
- 8 m to below 12 m32 %
- 12 m to below 20 m51 %
- 20 m and above7 %
Number of floors
Of the 5’663 parcels with a value, half lie between 1.9 and 4.0. The median is 3.0 and the mean 3.0.
Share of parcels by range
- below 218 %
- 2 to below 317 %
- 3 to below 549 %
- 5 and above16 %
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 | 7’733 | 107 % |
| Last 60 years | 1’487 | 119 % |
| Last 40 years | 945 | 125 % |
| Last 20 years | 335 | 146 % |
| Last 15 years | 198 | 152 % |
| Last 10 years | 125 | 161 % |
| Last 5 years | 57 | 171 % |
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).