Tool
Zoning map Vorarlberg
Enter an address or tap the map. You see what is zoned there, with the province’s plan code and the date of the plan.
Tap the map to see the zoning at a spot.
Zoning: Province of Vorarlberg (VOGIS, zoning plans of all municipalities)
What the zoning tells you
Zoning says what a plot may be used for. Vorarlberg knows five kinds of area, spelled out in the plan: building area, prospective building area, open area, transport area and reserved area, plus water and forest. The code beside it is the official short form, "BW" for a residential building area, "FL" for agricultural open land.
- Residential building area (BW)
- The most common zoning in the Rhine valley. Housing is the purpose; businesses are allowed only where they do not disturb it.
- Mixed building area (BM)
- Housing and commerce side by side. A business may be noisier here than in a residential area, and so may the neighbour above you.
- Core building area (BK)
- The town centre: retail, restaurants, offices and housing at high density. Shopping centres usually carry their own number in the plan.
- Commercial building area (BB, BB-I, BB-II)
- For production, storage and trade. Categories I and II differ in how disruptive a business may be. Housing is not envisaged.
- Prospective building area ((BW), (BM), (BB))
- Envisaged as building land but NOT yet zoned. The code stands in brackets, and that is the whole point: building requires a rezoning by the municipality first.
- Open area (FF, FL, FS)
- Everything outside the building land: land to be kept clear, agricultural land, and special areas such as nurseries or campsites. Building is generally not allowed.
- Reserved area (V)
- Reserved for a specific purpose, usually community facilities or subsidised housing. The plan text says which.
- Transport area (VS, VB)
- Road and railway. In lower case ("vs", "vb") it is a representation of another authority’s jurisdiction.
Vorarlberg plans follow plot boundaries. Roads and railway land are therefore zones of their own, and an address point easily falls on the carriageway in front. We therefore look in a small radius for the adjoining building area instead of reporting "transport area".
The brackets that decide whether you may build
The Vorarlberg special case sits inside a bracket. "(BW) prospective residential building area" looks like building land and is not: the area is envisaged as building land but not yet zoned. Building requires the municipality to rezone it, and whether and when it will do so appears nowhere in the plan.
We evaluate that. For the question "what kind of area is this" a prospective building area counts as residential or mixed, because that is what it will become. For the question "may I build here" it expressly does not: there we say that a rezoning is needed first. In the Rhine valley this is no edge case; for residential alone it is 590 of the 32,355 areas we counted.
Where the binding information is
This page is guidance, not legal advice. The municipalities’ zoning plans are what is legally binding; building projects and rezonings are decided by the municipality.
VOGIS, geodata of the Province of Vorarlberg
Limits of this map
- Plot-accurate
- Vorarlberg plans follow plot boundaries. Roads and railway land are therefore zones of their own.
- Whole province
- The province maintains the plans of all 96 municipalities, from Bregenz to the Montafon.
- Brackets mean: not yet
- A code in brackets is a prospective building area. It is envisaged as building land and not yet zoned.
- Data currency
- The service returns the plan status with a date for each area. Ongoing amendment procedures are not visible in it.
- Not legal advice
- Building projects and rezonings are decided by the municipality, not by this display.
Related
For the same address we also show how loud, how warm and how well connected the location is.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the zoning for a specific address in Vorarlberg?
Enter the address above and pick it from the list. The map jumps there and shows the zoning at that spot. Alternatively tap directly on the map. The provincial service covers all 96 municipalities in Vorarlberg.
What does prospective building area mean?
The area is designated in the plan as future building land but is not yet zoned. You recognise it by the code in brackets, for example "(BW)". Building is only permitted after the municipality rezones it, and there is no entitlement to that. Anyone buying a prospective building area is buying an intention.
What is the difference between residential, mixed and core area?
In a residential area (BW) housing is the purpose and businesses must not disturb it. In a mixed area (BM) housing and commerce stand side by side and a business may be noisier. The core area (BK) is the town centre at the highest density, retail and restaurants included.
Why does the map show a transport area at my address?
Because the plan is plot-accurate and an address point often sits on the road in front. We therefore search a radius of roughly 30 to 45 metres for the adjoining building area and show that. If you tap beside it, the road may still be what is meant.
Does this also work outside the Rhine valley?
Yes. The provincial service covers every municipality, so the Walgau, the Bregenzerwald, the Montafon, the Klostertal and the Arlberg as well.
Is this information legally binding?
No. We display the open data of the Province of Vorarlberg in an understandable form. The zoning plans themselves are what is legally binding, and for a specific project the municipality’s ruling is what counts.
Last updated: August 2026