The lecture defends an integrated vision of housing as a fundamental right and as a central pillar of contemporary urban policy.
Xavier Matilla Ayala analyzes the housing crisis in Catalonia and Barcelona and presents the main public policies developed to guarantee the right to housing in recent years, especially in Barcelona during the 2015–2023 period.
The presentation contextualizes the issue at a territorial scale, from the city of Barcelona to the whole of Catalonia, showing how rising rental prices and tourist pressure have worsened access to housing and increased territorial inequality.
It then explains the Catalan legal and urban planning framework, highlighting the 2007 Housing Rights Law and the development of territorial and urban planning instruments aimed at increasing the stock of protected housing and regulating the residential market. Among the most relevant measures are mandatory land reserves for social housing, the right of first refusal and pre-emption, and Barcelona’s requirement to allocate 30% of new developments to affordable housing.
It also presents the objectives of the 2024 Territorial Housing Sector Plan, which aims to achieve 15% of housing dedicated to social policies and a minimum percentage of social rental housing in areas with the highest residential demand.
Finally, it presents concrete projects and initiatives promoted in Barcelona, such as the 2015–2030 Housing Right Plan, cooperatives like La Borda, APROP modular housing, and innovative social housing buildings. It also highlights strategies to regulate tourist accommodation through the PEUAT and expand the public housing st
Video: https://youtu.be/4VGguT4-77c?si=d4cfF5QB7rh_FWgF
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