Barcelona City Council has announced an ambitious ten-year plan to revitalise Ciutat Vella, the city’s historic heart, with a flagship proposal to renovate at least 10% of the district’s ageing housing stock by 2035. The initiative is the cornerstone of the newly unveiled ‘Pacte per Ciutat Vella (2025-2035)’, a wide-ranging strategy designed to tackle the district’s most pressing challenges and “recover normality” for its residents.
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Mayor Jaume Collboni, Deputy Mayor for Security Albert Batlle, and the Pact’s commissioner, Ivan Pera presented the plan, which comprises 187 distinct actions, on Thursday. This comprehensive strategy addresses the unique pressures faced by the district, including the Gothic Quarter, El Raval, and Barceloneta. According to Ajuntament de Barcelona data, Ciutat Vella’s 7,500 buildings average 112 years old, significantly exceeding the city-wide average of under 80 years.
A Foundation of Renewal: Fixing the Homes
The housing renovation is the plan’s central pillar. The goal is to refurbish a minimum of 4,100 of the district’s 41,000 homes over the next decade. To guide this effort, the city will collaborate with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) to conduct a detailed study of the structural condition and conservation state of the buildings. This analysis will help prioritise the most urgent cases.
Officials have confirmed that the city will launch a dedicated fund of €15 million in 2027 to support renovations for households with fewer resources. This initiative aligns with broader regional efforts to improve housing availability, such as Catalonia’s significant new budget for housing.
In addition to physical renovations, the pact aims to increase the available residential housing stock by cracking down on tourist accommodation. The city plans to reclaim more than 733 properties currently operating as tourist flats by not renewing their licenses when they expire in 2028, a move intended to alleviate pressure on the local rental market.
Beyond Bricks and Mortar: A Social and Economic Overhaul
The ‘Pacte per Ciutat Vella’ extends far beyond housing, structured around four key areas: people, public space, the economy, and community bonds. More than 230 local entities contributed to the strategy through a comprehensive debate process.
A key focus is improving public spaces and amenities. This includes reinforcing La Rambla as a major cultural axis following its redevelopment in 2027. Local businesses eagerly await this project, as Barna.News has previously reported on new restaurants betting on a post-works boom. The plan also includes measures to improve urban greenery, expand the network of climate shelters, and enhance street cleanliness, building on the city’s recent specialised cleaning plan for the district.
Economically, the city aims to reverse the “commercial monoculture” that has seen local shops replaced by souvenir stores. A new Land Use Plan will limit the opening of new cannabis clubs and nail salons. This aims to encourage a more diverse and “singular” retail environment, a critical move as many of Barcelona’s historic shops face closure. The strategy will also promote quality job creation by reviving artisan trades and fostering sectors linked to the blue economy.
During the press conference, Ivan Pera highlighted the pact’s ultimate goal. “The objective is to recover normality and consolidate the district as a place to stay,” he said, as reported by betevé. This, he added, requires making the area “habitable, inclusive, with a quality and safe public space that puts people at the centre.”
A Decade of Transformation
The challenges are significant. Ciutat Vella’s population has grown from 84,000 in the late 2000s to 115,000 today, and it bears a disproportionate burden of the city’s tourism, with a density of 14,000 tourists per square kilometre compared to 1,500 in the rest of Barcelona.
To ensure the plan’s long-term success, the City Council is establishing a robust governance structure. An Advisory Council and a Monitoring Commission will oversee implementation, while a new ‘Ciutat Vella Lab’ will be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the policies.
Deputy Mayor Albert Batlle described the pact as an “integral intervention” necessary to manage the district’s evolution. After years of intense pressure, this decade-long commitment represents the city’s most comprehensive effort to reclaim its oldest neighbourhoods for the people who call them home.
