Premià de Mar, in the Barcelona province, has launched a pilot project to regenerate its urban commercial network. The Diputació de Barcelona, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and the local council signed an agreement on 12 May to start a coordinated strategy. This plan will combine urban, economic, social, cultural, and regulatory actions.
The Diputació de Barcelona will provide a specialised technical team and an investment of €20,000. The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce will contribute business knowledge and technical support, working with Premià de Mar's municipal services. All three parties aim to involve local commercial and cultural sectors, community groups, and residents.
Premià de Mar was chosen as the pilot municipality because its commercial activity is spread across different areas, it has several empty premises, and it wants to organise commercial uses and promote a sustainable urban commerce model. The goal is to replicate this model in other municipalities in the province with similar characteristics and challenges.
Addressing Changes in Urban Commerce
Urban commerce in municipalities has faced many changes. These include shifts in consumer habits, the rise of e-commerce, territorial competition, and increasing costs for commercial establishments, especially rental prices. Some urban commercial areas have also lost their central importance.
This transformation has led to more empty commercial premises in towns, a concentration of similar commercial uses, and a lack of diverse offerings. It has also made small businesses more fragile and created a lack of generational succession.
Planned Actions and Goals
The project includes several actions. One key step is a report that will analyse commercial rental prices and set an average price for business viability. Other actions will focus on reducing the number of empty premises and promoting new economic activities. There will also be a training plan for local businesses and companies, and activities to encourage generational succession. Finally, a methodological guide will be created to allow the model to be replicated elsewhere.
Olga Serra i Luque, the Diputació's Deputy for Commerce and Consumption, highlighted the initiative's new approach after the agreement was signed. "Today we take a step forward in how we address the challenges of urban commerce, with a full project that tackles them from diverse perspectives such as urban planning, public space, community involvement, and social cohesion to create a real impact on the territory," she said. Serra stressed the broad and inclusive perspective. "We are starting a new three-way project with the aim of being able to replicate it and that it serves to improve the viability of municipal commerce with the active involvement of the local fabric. Because only with local leadership, supramunicipal complicity, and public-private cooperation can we guarantee the future of our businesses."
Local and Regional Commitment
Rafa Navarro, the Mayor of Premià de Mar, praised the collaboration that made the project possible, noting it aligns with the municipality's commercial policies. "Our strategic project as a city necessarily involves maintaining Premià de Mar as a capital and a commercial and social reference point for the Baix Maresme. In this sense, we value and appreciate the collaboration with other institutions and with the public-private sector that contribute to consolidating this reference position, and we assume it with responsibility and commitment."
Agustí Filomeno, Director of Commerce, Tourism, and Culture at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, stated that the Chamber "will bring a professional and future-oriented perspective to the project, to focus on trends that truly have an impact and add value to commerce." He also emphasised the need for public-private collaboration to "help redefine a strategic activity." Filomeno added that for the Chamber, "commerce is a key sector that gives identity to municipalities and for which we must continue to bet on professionalisation."
This initiative by the Diputació de Barcelona supports Sustainable Development Goals number 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. It also aligns with Goal 12, focusing on responsible production and consumption.
