The Catalan government has launched the second round of its Neighbourhood Plan, with at least €300 million set aside for vulnerable areas across Catalonia. Government spokesperson and Territory Minister Sílvia Paneque said the scheme will support municipalities that need investment in public spaces, social cohesion and environmental sustainability.
Paneque said the funding is for areas that have been left out of major transformations and need updating. The Generalitat will subsidise projects that combine improvements to streets and squares with measures to strengthen community life and environmental quality.
While the budget still needs parliamentary approval, the plan starts with a €200 million allocation, the same as last year. Paneque said this is an initial amount that can be expanded to at least €300 million in the coming weeks, once town councils have submitted their applications.
The government expects more applications than in the first call, which received 83 bids. That earlier round distributed €232 million across 20 neighbourhoods in places including Olot, Amposta, Vic, Tortosa, Figueres and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. More Catalonia news
According to the Territory department, medium-sized cities often focused on old town centres, larger cities on housing estates built in the 1960s and 1970s, and smaller towns on projects in their villages. The department said this was a general pattern, not a strict rule.
New housing construction is not covered by the Neighbourhood Plan. The government said that area is being handled through the Pla 50.000, a separate initiative. The plan does cover rehabilitation and improvements to existing buildings, and it can fund permanent buildings for schools that are currently using temporary classrooms. New educational, health or police centres are excluded because those decisions fall under sectoral plans.