I get the impression there is a constant renovation of properties and standards revision going on, I certainly saw evidence of that as most properties had their date of build on the front and looked extremely well maintained.
Our constant drive for maintaining houses is due to our tax system. When you buy/build a flat or house, you have to fill in a rather complicated form with lots of questions about say square meters, what the rooms are used for, size of the balcony, have you got a swimming pool and of what size, parking spaces etc. etc. Anyway the tax administration will then determine your imputed (virtual) rental value which you will pay revenue tax on. Which can be rather high. The best way to reduce this nasty effect is to renovate your house and deduce the costs, spread on several years if they exceed the yearly limit.
There are efforts all the time to scrap this imputed rental value, but they are all doomed. First of all, banks (need I say that they run the country) are all too happy to finance those permanent renovation costs, and the federal tax administration fears reduced tax income. Personally I rather like the system, it generates a lot of economical activity and investments, which benefit everyone in the end. This tax scheme is also one of the reasons why you won't find many 'skyscrapers' in Swizzieland, buildings which can vaguely be called that way can be counted on two hands.
These last 15 years of close to zero mortgage rates, added to our tax system, have of course the side effect that everyone is building and renovating like crazy everywhere, and there's no end in sight. In a similar fashion, everything is done to motivate people to scrap their cars after 7-8 years and buy sparkling new ones.
Pave every inch, why so stingy. Get an electric car but possibly a Tesla X, they're cool. Global warming, wazzat ?! Sometimes I almost understand Extinction Rebellion and their so-so actions, although even these guys don't give me the impression that they're really ready to live a simpler life.
