Land Available, Construction Not Happening
Barcelona, 25th October 2026, A major contradiction lies at the heart of Catalonia’s housing crisis: while developers cite lack of land as a key barrier to building new homes, official data reveals a surplus of undeveloped plots in municipalities under rent controls. According to the Urban Information System (SIU), a national housing ministry database tracking municipal planning, there is land designated for 423,600 apartments in towns classified as stressed residential market zones (ZMRTs), areas with high demand where rent caps are enforced to improve affordability. These plots are not yet part of the urban fabric and require urbanisation or changes in land use, but local councils have already approved them for housing in their urban plans. Yet only three out of every ten planned properties have been started, the SIU data shows. The rest remain listed as "pending materialization".
Widespread Delays Across Catalonia
In a third of the 110 municipalities analysed, 37 in total, no work has begun to transform land for housing. The largest backlogs are in Lleida (21,007 homes pending), Terrassa (15,401) and Vilanova i la Geltrú (10,189). Near Barcelona, Granollers (3,795), Badalona (2,992), Sabadell (2,140), Rubí (2,624) and l’Hospitalet de Llobregat (1,857) also face significant delays. Tourist-heavy areas are similarly affected: Cambrils (9,128), l’Ametlla de Mar (5,452), Puigcerdà (3,509), Roses (3,355) and Sitges (1,978) all have large volumes of approved but undeveloped land.
Barcelona Has Little Room Left
In contrast, Barcelona itself has almost no space left for new development, with land available for just 148 new homes. Sant Adrià de Besòs and Sant Joan Despí have no buildable land at all under current plans. Experts agree that vacant plots within the existing urban fabric are now extremely rare.
Without land on the market, we have no fuel to run the construction machine. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.
, Alfredo Sarrias, board member, College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC) The SIU’s findings are based on satellite imagery, mostly from 2024, which it says provides a "high degree of reliability" despite a "significant margin of error".
Why Is Development Stalled?
Experts and industry figures point to multiple causes. Banks have restricted lending for land development, and the urbanisation process itself is slow. There is also debate over whether land prices reflect true market value. Catalonia needs around 25,000 new homes annually to meet household formation, according to the Generalitat, but fewer than 8,000 were started in the first half of 2026, per the College of Architects. All experts agree that new construction is essential to ease the housing crisis, but stress it must focus on expanding affordable housing stock.
Sources: Ara.
