Movement

Zürich

Movement of people

People move around Zurich lots, through the numerous train, tram, boat, and bus lines. One notable transport system is the ZVV network, which moves a total of 650 million passengers a year. One card (similar to our Compass Card) will get you around the city affordably, and it can be purchased in advance for a trip to Zurich. Getting to Zurich from around the world is easy, given that Zurich has an airport (ZRH). ZRH has over 28.8 million passengers flying through it in a year. ZRH is located in the Canton (state) of Zurich; it is roughly 13 km away from northern Zurich. If you are a resident of the EU or EFTA (European Free Trade Association), then immigration is easy. However, if you are not a citizen of a country in the EFTA or EU, then you will need a visa. Common visa types include work, study, family, and retirement visas. After 10 years of continuous residence in Zurich, eligible individuals can apply for permanent residency and citizenship, which offers benefits like unrestricted employment and voting rights.

Movement of Products

Zurich is also a critical hub for goods around the world, such as precious metals, expensive watches, and medicine. The top exports of Zurich include Gold ($109B), Packaged Medicaments ($39.7B), Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($39.4B), Nitrogen Heterocyclic Compounds ($19.9B), and Base Metal Watches ($19.6B). Top imports include Gold ($111B), Watch Straps ($787M), Other Clocks and Watches ($488M), Watch Cases and Parts ($419M), and Cereal Straws ($69.9M). A total of over $398 billion worth of goods was exported in 2023. Taking a look at the imports and exports list, it is easy to see that the watch parts are brought to Zurich for assembly and then exported. This shows that watches are a critical part of Zurich’s (and Switzerland’s) economy.

Movement of Ideas

Zurich is a modern city with near-unrestricted internet access, and the freedom of press, speech, and expression is upheld by the Swiss constitution. Zurich has many radio stations broadcasting a variety of talk and music. Colour TV arrived in Switzerland in 1968, and there is a choice of many providers. Internet is fast (up to 10 Gbps), and near unrestricted. As with TV, there is a variety of many providers.