Canton of Ticino: observed built density
Canton · 80 municipalities with parcel data · Parcel data as of July 2025
The parcel data covers only part of the land in the canton of Ticino, so figures here may be incomplete.
- Parcels
- 144’351
4 % of Switzerland
- Municipal zones
- 2’261
- Median utilization
- 10 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.09
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 8.7 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 1.9
Switzerland: 2.3
About Canton of Ticino
The parcel data covers 80 municipalities of the canton of Ticino: 144’351 parcels in 2’261 municipal zone records. The municipalities with the most parcels are Bellinzona, Lugano and Gambarogno.
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 10 %; half of the parcels lie between 5 % and 95 %. The Swiss median is 10 %, close to the level of Ticino.
The median building height is 8.7 m at 1.9 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.09. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 110 % (7’502 parcels), higher than the 100 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels |
|---|---|
| Zona agricola | 17’686 |
| Zona forestale | 8’471 |
| Area forestale | 6’512 |
| Zona residenziale estensiva | 6’281 |
| Bosco | 4’009 |
| Zona Forestale | 3’648 |
| Vuoto Pianificatorio | 2’959 |
| Zona residenziale | 2’761 |
| Zona residenziale semi-intensiva | 2’155 |
| Area forestale indicativa | 1’972 |
| Zona residenziale R2 | 1’680 |
| Altri terreni idonei all'agricoltura | 1’543 |
| Other zones (1’412) | 84’674 |
Zone labels are municipal spellings, so one zone type can appear under several names.
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 142’348 parcels with a value, half lie between 5 % and 95 %. The median is 10 % and the mean 86 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %60 %
- 50 % to below 100 %17 %
- 100 % to below 150 %12 %
- 150 % and above12 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 142’337 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.04 and 0.57. The median is 0.09 and the mean 0.43.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5072 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0015 %
- 1.00 to below 1.505 %
- 1.50 and above8 %
Building height
Of the 68’824 parcels with a value, half lie between 7.0 m and 10.8 m. The median is 8.7 m and the mean 9.1 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m41 %
- 8 m to below 12 m45 %
- 12 m to below 20 m14 %
- 20 m and above1 %
Number of floors
Of the 68’221 parcels with a value, half lie between 1.4 and 2.4. The median is 1.9 and the mean 2.0.
Share of parcels by range
- below 229 %
- 2 to below 349 %
- 3 to below 521 %
- 5 and above2 %
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 | 144’351 | 100 % |
| Last 60 years | 32’386 | 120 % |
| Last 40 years | 20’601 | 115 % |
| Last 20 years | 7’502 | 110 % |
| Last 15 years | 4’830 | 112 % |
| Last 10 years | 2’544 | 113 % |
| Last 5 years | 959 | 110 % |
Municipalities of the canton of Ticino
| Name | Parcels | Zones | Median utilization | Median height | Median floors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellinzona | 26’200 | 211 | 21 % | 8.4 m | 1.9 |
| Lugano | 13’526 | 170 | 9 % | 8.7 m | 2.0 |
| Gambarogno | 8’674 | 93 | 12 % | 8.8 m | 2.0 |
| Mendrisio | 8’494 | 107 | 8 % | 8.7 m | 2.0 |
| Capriasca | 7’866 | 83 | 9 % | 8.3 m | 1.7 |
| Serravalle | 5’807 | 51 | 8 % | 8.0 m | 1.8 |
| Val Mara | 4’405 | 66 | 10 % | 9.3 m | - |
| Riviera | 3’594 | 72 | 9 % | 7.5 m | 1.7 |
| Gordola | 3’089 | 24 | 49 % | 9.1 m | 2.0 |
| Airolo | 3’010 | 33 | 9 % | 8.4 m | 2.0 |
| Minusio | 3’005 | 28 | 56 % | 10.0 m | 2.1 |
| Castel San Pietro | 2’788 | 25 | 8 % | 9.1 m | 1.9 |
| Breggia | 2’255 | 32 | 7 % | 9.3 m | 1.8 |
| Ascona | 2’177 | 29 | 71 % | 9.8 m | 2.1 |
| Verzasca | 2’173 | 34 | 8 % | 7.3 m | 1.8 |
| Torricella-Taverne | 1’931 | 29 | 36 % | 8.5 m | 1.8 |
| Monteceneri | 1’854 | 31 | 9 % | 7.8 m | 1.8 |
| Ronco sopra Ascona | 1’853 | 30 | 9 % | 10.4 m | 1.9 |
| Collina d'Oro | 1’851 | 19 | 11 % | 9.5 m | 2.0 |
| Tenero-Contra | 1’838 | 43 | 8 % | 9.0 m | 2.0 |
| Arbedo-Castione | 1’679 | 63 | 72 % | 8.7 m | 2.1 |
| Morbio Inferiore | 1’635 | 32 | 77 % | 9.1 m | 2.1 |
| Caslano | 1’625 | 33 | 63 % | 8.4 m | 2.0 |
| Cadenazzo | 1’598 | 26 | 9 % | 8.5 m | 1.9 |
| Mezzovico-Vira | 1’550 | 26 | 14 % | 7.8 m | 1.9 |
| Lumino | 1’534 | 29 | 9 % | 8.3 m | 1.8 |
| Sant'Antonino | 1’496 | 22 | 22 % | 8.0 m | 1.8 |
| Centovalli | 1’431 | 22 | 8 % | 8.0 m | 1.8 |
| Pura | 1’340 | 18 | 10 % | 8.4 m | 1.9 |
| Arogno | 1’332 | 22 | 10 % | 9.5 m | 1.9 |
| Chiasso | 1’303 | 34 | 9 % | 11.2 m | 2.1 |
| Brione sopra Minusio | 1’288 | 21 | 10 % | 8.8 m | 1.9 |
| Brusino Arsizio | 1’284 | 24 | 7 % | 8.9 m | 1.8 |
| Maggia | 1’265 | 19 | 9 % | 7.6 m | 1.7 |
| Coldrerio | 1’120 | 25 | 73 % | 9.1 m | 2.0 |
| Lavertezzo | 1’029 | 18 | 10 % | 9.0 m | 1.8 |
| Vernate | 1’010 | 12 | 8 % | 9.5 m | 1.9 |
| Orselina | 1’001 | 29 | 19 % | 9.9 m | 2.1 |
| Origlio | 974 | 19 | 21 % | 7.4 m | 1.9 |
| Faido | 954 | 35 | 9 % | 9.4 m | 2.0 |
| Personico | 940 | 20 | 8 % | 7.8 m | 1.9 |
| Pollegio | 930 | 25 | 10 % | 8.0 m | 1.8 |
| Bedano | 922 | 21 | 63 % | 8.5 m | 2.0 |
| Manno | 907 | 30 | 30 % | 8.6 m | 2.1 |
| Morcote | 863 | 21 | 56 % | 10.2 m | 2.1 |
| Terre di Pedemonte | 842 | 22 | 24 % | 8.3 m | 1.9 |
| Vezia | 747 | 29 | 60 % | 9.4 m | 2.2 |
| Gravesano | 638 | 22 | 65 % | 8.9 m | 2.0 |
| Muralto | 620 | 18 | 67 % | 14.4 m | 2.9 |
| Muzzano | 566 | 35 | 27 % | 9.3 m | 1.9 |
| Isone | 559 | 17 | 78 % | 8.6 m | 1.8 |
| Sorengo | 543 | 23 | 60 % | 9.9 m | 2.4 |
| Melide | 539 | 28 | 39 % | 11.3 m | 2.3 |
| Blenio | 514 | 19 | 8 % | 8.0 m | 1.8 |
| Vico Morcote | 482 | 15 | 34 % | 10.4 m | 2.0 |
| Bosco/Gurin | 458 | 22 | 9 % | 8.3 m | 1.9 |
| Grancia | 245 | 15 | 16 % | 9.1 m | 2.0 |
| Canobbio | 79 | 16 | 8 % | 9.8 m | 2.0 |
| Porza | 45 | 11 | 25 % | 11.3 m | 2.6 |
| Massagno | 37 | 6 | 35 % | 11.6 m | 2.2 |
| Brissago | 4 | 2 | 10 % | - | 1.0 |
| Locarno | 4 | 4 | 5 % | - | - |
| Ponte Capriasca | 4 | 3 | 5 % | - | - |
| Balerna | 3 | 3 | 5 % | - | - |
| Biasca | 3 | 3 | 5 % | - | - |
| Cureglia | 3 | 2 | 5 % | - | - |
| Novazzano | 3 | 2 | 5 % | - | - |
| Acquarossa | 2 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Bioggio | 2 | 2 | 5 % | - | - |
| Magliaso | 2 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Cugnasco-Gerra | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Lamone | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Losone | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Paradiso | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Savosa | 1 | 1 | 105 % | 3.0 m | 1.0 |
| Stabio | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Vacallo | 1 | 1 | 5 % | - | - |
| Giornico | 0 | 2 | - | - | - |
| Lema | 0 | 39 | - | - | - |
| Quinto | 0 | 36 | - | - | - |
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).