The housing challenge in the Greater Barcelona
Access to housing is one of the major challenges facing the future of Barcelona and its metropolitan area. To address this issue, a session of the Barcelona Global Chapter Young was held on March 26 at the Antiga Fàbrica d’Estrella Damm, focusing on affordable housing. The event brought together representatives from the public and private sectors, as well as experts in architecture and urban planning, to explore this complex issue from multiple perspectives. The speakers included Marcel Prunera (Althena/Guinot/Prunera), Ferran Marsà (La Llave de Oro), Enric Batlle (BatlleiRoig), and Maria Sisternas (Fundació Hàbitat3), with moderation by Marc Palà (Emesa).
The speakers emphasized from the outset the complexity of the housing issue in Barcelona. It is not so much a matter of land scarcity, though that does exist, but rather the slow processes of urban management and transformation. In addition, the areas where land is made available do not always match the areas where demand is highest, which calls for adequate mobility infrastructure. On top of this, the lack of a shared metropolitan vision and governance hinders the development of an affordable and sustainable housing supply.
The major challenges of affordable housing
One of the key points of the discussion was the recognition that Barcelona cannot address the housing challenge within its administrative limits alone. As highlighted in the introduction, more than 60% of the population is now concentrated in the outskirts of major cities. This demographic pressure drives price inflation and underscores the need to tackle the issue from a “Greater Barcelona” perspective. Enric Batlle added that the very notion of a “metropolis” creates both psychological and institutional barriers that slow down project development: “we are not a metropolitan area, we are Barcelona”.
The city’s territory is physically limited, but according to the speakers, there is land available within the metropolitan area. However, mobilizing this land is no easy task: urban planning processes are slow and often stalled by bureaucratic procedures that can take between 10 and 15 years before any housing is actually built. In this regard, Marcel Prunera emphasized the need to speed up timelines and adopt a “long-term vision” through policies that extend beyond political cycles.
Mercè Conesa stressed that the housing issue is a supply crisis, not one of demand. Excessive bureaucracy and current regulations are fueling inflation in the market by making it harder to develop new rental housing. Moreover, the legal uncertainty surrounding rentals leads many property owners to choose selling over renting their homes.
Lluís Cases reinforced this analysis, pointing out that population growth has not been matched by a proportional increase in housing supply. While land is available, it can only be mobilized through active management and collaboration between public and private actors. He also warned that there are no miracle solutions: without adequate resources and clear governance, results cannot be achieved.
Proposals to activate supply: land, change of use, and viable regulation
In light of this situation, several speakers proposed concrete measures to increase supply and improve the system’s efficiency. Enric Batlle argued that many underused industrial areas could be transformed into residential land, provided there is political will and agile management. Ferran Marsà pointed to office buildings in the 22@ district as an example, where current regulations prevent the development of housing.
Marcel Prunera argued that the issue is not regulation itself, but whether it is competent and adapted to reality. He cited youth subsidies as an example: if only demand is encouraged, prices rise; instead, it is essential to focus on the supply side and create the right conditions to build more affordable housing.
Public-private collaboration
Both the public and private sectors agreed on the importance of collaboration. As Mercè Conesa explained, public administrations must rely on the private sector to effectively implement housing policies. And Lluís Cases was very clear: public resources alone are not enough; without private operators, it will be impossible to increase the supply of affordable housing.
The discussion also opened the door to rethinking the very concept of housing. New models such as co-living, senior-living or flex-livingwere brought to the table. However, Marcel Prunera cautioned that while these solutions may help ease pressure on the system in specific cases, they will not solve the structural problem. In other words, these new housing models are a consequence of the issue, not the solution. Enric Batlle also noted the lack of clear regulations for these types of housing, and Ferran Marsà added that Barcelona’s ecosystem is currently leaning toward more traditional family housing.
In this regard, Maria Sisternas emphasized the need to develop affordable rental housing alongside social housing. In Catalonia, there is land available to build more than 65,000 homes, but it must be made accessible to developers with the capacity to finance their construction. According to her, the challenge is not building, it’s managing: “we know how to build, but what’s lacking is the management that comes after.”
Conclusions: a metropolitan perspective for a shared challenge
Access to affordable housing has no quick fixes, but there are viable paths forward. At Barcelona Global, we aim to highlight the importance of acting with a metropolitan vision, more agile regulation, and effective collaboration between the public and private sectors. The opportunities are there: land is available, and the technical capacity exists. But clear regulatory frameworks and governance that goes beyond administrative boundaries are also needed. As stated during the discussion, the solution does not lie within the city of Barcelona alone, but in Greater Barcelona as a whole.
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