Barcelona wants more housing in 22@ district

Creating the 22@ business district had been one of the most successful urban projects carried out in post-Olympics Barcelona. In an area of 1,159,626m² between Ciutadella park, Rambla Prim, Gran Via and the sea, a former industrial area was redeveloped to host, above all, technology businesses. Almost 18 years after planning permission was granted, the transformation of the area is still not complete, with around 30% of land still to be developed, and with only 40% of the 4,000 public housing projects first envisioned having been completed, above all due to the crisis that hit the building sector.

Now, with a growing need for rented accommodation, Barcelona council is looking at this area of the Sant Martí district, not least because it is one of the few with space for enough new buildings to make a difference. In fact, since October 7, local residents have participated in a process launched by the local authority to rethink the 22@ district. The latest session took place yesterday in the former Oliva Artés factory, which has been turned into a museum. The conclusions of the meeting was that one of the most repeated demands for the area is a call for more social housing. While the council agrees, it is still too early to talk of specific figures, but the will to build more dwellings certainly exists.