The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute GDI has published Switzerland’s first neighbourhood study, based on research commissioned by the Migros Culture Percentage. It shows how people in Switzerland live with and alongside one another, what expectations and wishes they have and how these differ from reality. The study also shows that people in French-speaking Switzerland and in Ticino have a broader interpretation of ‘neighbourhood’ than those in German-speaking Switzerland. The coronavirus pandemic had little effect on neighbourhood relations. However, it showed that neighbours can establish closer ties in challenging times. In general, people in Switzerland tend to have a somewhat distant relationship with their neighbours. However, they also appear to be inclined to trust them. The results of the study prompted Migros Commitment to launch the Neighbourhood Hero initiative and support neighbours’ local community projects. In October 2022 Migros Commitment will call for proposals for larger-scale projects, for which funding of up to CHF 50,000 will be available. To read an interview with Karin Frick, co-author of the study, go to: Ein Interview mit Karin Frick, der Co-Autorin der Studie, ist online verfügbar.
