Barcelona has approved planning rules that will reduce or cap the number of car parking spaces required in some future housing developments close to public transport, while allowing higher provision in areas where residents rely more heavily on cars.

The change, approved by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area's urban planning commission on Thursday 17 September, applies only to new buildings, new streets and developments covered by future urban plans. The Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) say looser parking requirements could lower development costs and help make subsidised housing schemes more viable in areas with good transport connections.

It will cover Barcelona and 27 surrounding municipalities, including Badalona, l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, El Prat de Llobregat and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. The rules will take effect in the coming days once they are published in the Generalitat's official gazette.

Parking ratios will vary by location and housing type

The regulation divides the metropolitan area into three zones: central Barcelona inside the ring roads, areas outside them with good public transport access, and municipalities where public transport is less accessible.

  • For market-rate homes inside Barcelona's ring roads, developments will need at least one parking space for every four dwellings. The maximum will be one space per dwelling under 100 square metres, or two spaces per dwelling of more than 100 square metres.
  • For subsidised housing in Barcelona, developments may have no parking spaces, with a maximum of one per dwelling. These homes are subject to public price and eligibility rules.
  • In areas with good connections outside the ring roads, market-rate housing will require one space per two dwellings. In municipalities without accessible public transport, the requirement will be one space per market-rate dwelling.

Subsidised housing outside Barcelona will require at least one space for every four homes, both in well-connected areas and in municipalities with weaker public transport links. No maximum has been set for those developments outside the city.

New streets will be planned around their use

Parking on new streets will be decided according to the buildings they serve, mobility plans and the character of the public space. A pedestrian street, for example, would not include on-street parking.

Tourist accommodation of every category will have to provide at least one parking space for every four units. Requirements for shops, offices, industrial premises, warehouses, workshops and facilities such as hospitals and churches will be based on floor area.

“The aim is to adapt to reality and territorial diversity, to new environmental requirements, and also to the orientation of current urban planning,” said Sílvia Paneque, the Generalitat's Minister of Territory.

Antonio Balmón, AMB executive vice-president, said the change was not intended to ban private vehicles. He said making parking requirements more flexible during a housing emergency could encourage construction sooner.

Residents and developers should check the Generalitat's official gazette once the measure is published, as the rules will apply to future plans rather than existing buildings or streets.

Reported by elpais.com, El País Barcelona.