The task of spatial planning is to allocate land that is largely built over or suitable for development and is likely to be needed and developed within the next 15 years to the appropriate building zone.

The canton of Zurich, for example, has the following six building zones:

Residential zones: Area for residential use
Core zones: For places and buildings worthy of protection
Neighbourhood preservation zones: closed districts that are to be preserved as a minimum.
Centre zones: densely built-up areas with residential space and administrative, commercial and service enterprises
Industrial and commercial zones: for industrial and commercial enterprises
Public buildings: Zones for the fulfilment of public tasks such as schools, hospitals, administrative buildings or swimming pools.

At the national level, a distinction is made between three zones: Building zones, agricultural zones and protection zones.

Cantonal law may provide for further use zones, for example in the Canton of Zurich there are five types of zones. In addition to building zones, agricultural zones, clearance zones, recreation zones and reserve zones are also defined and regulated as such.