Who is responsible for maintaining the quality of the place?

La Chaux-de-Fonds is one of only nine Swiss cities to have its own office for monument preservation. Since 27 June 2009, the cities of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to their urban landscape dominated by the watchmaking industry. The candidature was jointly formulated by the authorities of the two cities along with the Canton of Neuchâtel and the Swiss Confederation. The townspeople supported the project and agreed to the new legal provisions in connection with the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Is the place healthy and comfortable?

La Chaux-de-Fonds owes its appearance and urban structure to the watchmaking industry that developed in the region from the end of the 18th century onwards. After the fire of 1794, the city was quickly rebuilt according to plans that prefigured the core of the modern city. The chequerboard layout is based on the needs of a safe, healthy and light-filled city. From 1835 onwards, the city was also expanded in a modernist spirit according to plans by the engineer Charles-Henri Junod.

Does the place demonstrate responsible land use?

La Chaux-de-Fonds is situated at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level and is not well suited for agriculture. A defining element of the city is its green surroundings with pastures, meadows and woodlands. The border between urban and undeveloped areas is generally very clear. This is the result of spatial planning that for decades has aimed to densify settlement areas and avoid urban sprawl. This commitment and the well-preserved townscape are what earned La Chaux-de-Fonds the Swiss Heritage Society’s Wakker Prize in 1994.

Is the place economically viable in the long view?

La Chaux-de-Fonds is a matchless testament to an entire industrial era. The streets, buildings and factories were built by and for the watchmaking industry. A consensus was sought between the needs of the watch industry and those of the watchmakers, especially from the 19th century onwards. Even today, manufacturers of world-famous watch brands and suppliers to the watchmaking industry produce in the city and secure jobs.

Does the place foster community?

Early on, the watchmaking industry attracted workers from neighbouring areas. La Chaux-de-Fonds thus became a melting pot of cultures. The development of the population reflected the economic situation in the high valley of the Neuchâtel mountains – characterised by immigration and emigration. Today, with its many well-preserved Art Nouveau buildings and as the birthplace of Le Corbusier, the city also attracts many tourists who are interested in architecture.

Is the place in dialogue with the landscape, urban fabric, colours and materials?

The town constitutes an exceptional example of an urban and architectural ensemble that has been entirely devoted to watchmaking since the 18th century and to the present day. This is evidenced by the extant chequerboard street networks and the continuity of a clear typology of buildings ranging from the end of the 18th century to the present day. Although the buildings constructed after 1930 also exhibit breaks in their typology and surroundings – such as high-rise buildings – most of the newer buildings maintain the architectural continuity.

Are local, regional and historical values integrated into the design and management of the place?

La Chaux-de-Fonds conveys its symbiosis of urban design and watchmaking at various locations. In the Espace de l’urbanisme horloger, the development of the city is explained in multimedia form with many pictures and projected images. The Musée international d’horlogerie presents over 4,000 exhibits, from the sundial to the atomic clock, all mechanical marvels of various precision created in this high valley.

Do people perceive the place as beautiful?

The historic core of La Chaux-de-Fonds is well preserved. The buildings were inventoried for the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS) in 2007 – for the second time after 1976. This inventory allows a quantitative assessment of the townscape. About 85 per cent of the buildings are considered “noteworthy” or “well integrated”. Only 12.3 per cent are assessed as “disturbing”.