The Generalitat, in collaboration with the Besòs Consortium and neighbourhood groups, is exploring plans to increase the number of social housing units in the future Tres Xemeneies neighbourhood, located between Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona. This initiative aims to densify the area by potentially reducing the average size of social housing flats without expanding the total allocated surface area.
The current Urban Master Plan (PDU) for the Tres Xemeneies site, approved in 2023, envisages 1,783 new homes, comprising 1,069 privately developed units and 714 social housing units. However, officials from Badalona and Sant Adrià councils, along with the Besòs Consortium, are now evaluating how to increase the number of affordable homes on the 32.3-hectare site, according to El Periódico Barcelona.
This review aligns with Generalitat President Salvador Illa's commitment to “densify” cities to “build as much housing as possible” amidst a growing housing crisis. The proposal seeks to address the urgent need for more affordable housing options, particularly for diverse family types, without altering the overall percentages of private and social housing or the total buildable area.
Plans for Increased Social Housing
The proposal to increase social housing density is part of an agreement presented earlier this month by the Minister for Territory, Sílvia Paneque. The agreement was signed by the Lower Besòs Neighbourhood Coordinator (CVBB), which includes neighbourhood federations from Barcelona, Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià, and Montcada i Reixac, and the Besòs Consortium. The Consortium comprises the Generalitat, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, and the five city councils.
To achieve this, authorities are considering applying a provision of the urbanism law that would allow for a reduction in the average size of social housing units without requiring a full re-opening and re-approval of the Urban Master Plan. Re-opening the PDU would “take a long time,” according to sources familiar with the process. The Generalitat and other involved administrations aim for the first construction works to begin in 2027, with the neighbourhood expected to be completed by the middle of the next decade.
Adjusting Flat Sizes
The existing PDU stipulates that each public initiative home should have a usable area of 75 to 78 square metres and a built area averaging 104 square metres. The current assessment suggests that by making these measurements more flexible, more social housing units could be accommodated within the same allocated buildable area of 74,121 square metres, which represents 40% of the total new residential space. The remaining 60% is designated for private construction.
While no specific number of additional homes has been finalised, sources indicate that the new approach aims to diversify the range of affordable homes available. This would expand the supply for single individuals, couples without children, and families, addressing a broader spectrum of housing needs.
Shifting Political Stance
When the project was initially approved three years ago, the standard size for both social and market-rate housing was set to be identical. At that time, Badalona City Council opposed a Generalitat proposal to reduce social housing units to an average of 63 to 65 square metres, which would have allowed for 1,959 homes, including 853 affordable units. Sant Adrià City Council also resisted, advocating for lower buildability to reduce the total number of flats.
However, the political climate regarding housing has shifted significantly. Badalona's current mayor, Xavier García Albiol, who opposed “massifying” Tres Xemeneies in 2022, recently expressed agreement with President Illa's densification proposal at the 1st Municipalist Forum organised by El Periódico. Daniel Gracia, Badalona's Urban Planning Councillor, echoed this sentiment, stating, “We respect and positively value the possible increase in population in the area, but we must study the proposal in detail.”
Addressing Housing Crisis Needs
Gracia's reservations concern potential “conditions” that an increased population might bring, such as impacts on the PDU's mobility plan. Nevertheless, he welcomed the flexibility in future flat sizes to “meet the needs of different family unit types present in current society.”
José A. Gras, Sant Adrià's Deputy Mayor for Sustainable Territory, also supports gaining more social housing in the area. He argued that densification “will not be to the detriment of having habitable homes” nor will it significantly increase the estimated future population of 4,500 to 5,000 people. “It's not a question of making micro-flats, but of being efficient with space to have different types of homes for different tenants or buyers,” Gras explained. “We are talking about offering more housing opportunities for different typologies, not increasing the number of inhabitants.”
This perspective is shared by the neighbourhood movement. Pepe Sánchez, president of the Lower Besòs Neighbourhood Coordinator (CVBB), stated, “The objective is to offer a better supply to residents and have more social housing units to cater to more types of families, such as single-parent households.” He added that more flats would align with the Vesta project, which supports women with dependent children facing severe residential exclusion in the Besòs area.
The ongoing study by the Besòs Consortium and the Generalitat will determine the precise mechanisms and the final number of additional social housing units that can be incorporated into the Tres Xemeneies development. This initiative represents a significant step in Catalonia's broader strategy to tackle the housing crisis and provide more accessible homes for its residents.
