Working and living in Bern

Working and living in Bern: Your career location for environment, planning and geodata

An overview of the city

Bern, the federal capital of Switzerland with around 135,000 inhabitants (agglomeration around 420,000), is the political center of the Swiss Confederation and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city on the Aare impresses with its medieval old town with characteristic arcades, its location in the loop of the Aare and its view of the Bernese Alps. As the seat of the Federal Administration, Parliament and numerous international organizations, as well as as a university city, Bern combines political significance with scientific excellence and Swiss quality of life. Bern stands out as a place of work with the University of Bern and its renowned Department of Geography (GIUB), numerous federal offices such as the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) and swisstopo, as well as a manageable, livable city size. Living in Bern means Swiss quality, direct democratic participation, proximity to the Alps and the Jura, and a city in which political decisions are made. For professionals who want to combine a career in Bern with a Swiss lifestyle and political proximity, the federal city is a first-class choice.

Labor market for environmental and planning occupations

The Bernese job market offers outstanding prospects for specialists in the environmental, planning and geodata sectors. As the federal capital, Bern is the seat of the most important federal offices: The Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) based in Ittigen near Bern is Switzerland's central environmental authority, the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) coordinates spatial development throughout Switzerland, and the Federal Office for Regional Topography swisstopo in Wabern near Bern is Switzerland's geoinformation center. This concentration of federal agencies creates unique career opportunities at the national level.

The city of Bern is working on sustainable urban development and climate-friendly transformation. The Canton of Bern with the Office for Geoinformation (AGI) operates one of the most comprehensive geodata infrastructures in Switzerland with the cantonal geoportal and over 500 geodata products. GIS Jobs Bern benefit from this exceptional density of geodata expertise. Environmental planners in Bern find jobs with federal, cantonal and city authorities as well as with specialized planning offices.

Bern's particular strength lies in the combination of federal administration, research and practice: The GIUB (Department of Geography at the University of Bern) researches global challenges and sustainable development; many graduates later work in federal offices. Geodata jobs in Bern are created at swisstopo, at the Cantonal Office for Geoinformation, at the City of Bern and at private geoservice providers. Surveyors in Bern benefit from the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH with geomatics training.

Job offers for spatial planning in Bern include positions at the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), the canton, the city and planning offices. Geoinformatics Bern is excellently positioned by the University of Bern with the GIUB, which was founded in 1886 and is one of the most traditional geographical institutes in Europe. The unique combination of federal capital, university of excellence, central federal offices and Swiss quality of life makes Bern one of the most attractive locations for environmental and planning professionals.

Quality of life and infrastructure

Working in Bern means living in a city with the highest quality of life and a manageable size. The cost of living is at Swiss level, but is lower than in Zurich or Geneva. Living in Bern is moderate compared to Switzerland: From central districts such as Länggasse and Mattequartier to family-friendly districts such as Breitenrain and Kirchenfeld to suburbs, the city offers attractive residential areas. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old town is a special place to live and work.

Transport connections are excellent: Bern is centrally located in Switzerland and is a hub between Zurich, Basel, Geneva and the Alps. Public transport by tram, bus and S-Bahn is excellently developed. Zurich Airport can be reached within an hour. Bern's work-life balance benefits enormously from the location: The Aare with the popular bathing establishments and the marzili bath, the Gurten as a local mountain, the proximity to the Bernese Alps and the manageable size of the city provide a high quality of life. The city is known for its quality of life, which makes it possible to get from work to nature quickly.

Bern is culturally lively: The Federal Palace with its parliament, the Paul Klee Center, Bern Cathedral, the Einstein villages (Einstein lived in Bern), theaters, museums and a lively cultural scene characterize the city. The Bernese carnival, Zibelemärit and other traditions create local identity. For families, Bern offers excellent schools, international educational institutions and a family-friendly environment at Swiss level.

career prospects

Bern's job opportunities for environmental, planning and geospatial professionals are among the best in Switzerland. The University of Bern is one of the leading Swiss universities and the Department of Geography (GIUB), founded in 1886, is one of the most traditional geographical institutes in Europe. GIUB combines human geography, physical geography and geographies of sustainability and carries out a wide range of research on global challenges. The focus is on a geography of global change that combines temporal and spatial scales.

The “Political Urban Research and Sustainable Spatial Development” unit under Prof. Dr. Jean-David Gerber researches urban development, spatial planning and sustainable transformation. Many GIUB graduates later work in federal offices — the Director of the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) Katrin Schneeberger and the Vice Director of the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) Dr. Ulrich Seewer both studied and completed their doctorates at GIUB.

Job offers for spatial planning in Bern will continue to increase due to the federal administration, the growing canton and innovative projects. The close network between university, federal offices and practice offers unique career paths. For qualified specialists, Bern is therefore not only the federal capital with political ties, but also a location with scientific excellence, central federal offices and Swiss quality of life in a manageable city size.