> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Cerdanyola to Expand as Spain's Top Student Hub - URL: https://barna.news/cerdanyola-to-expand-as-spain-s-top/ - Published: 2026-10-20T08:11:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-20T08:11:39.000Z - Description: Cerdanyola del Vallès is set to grow as a leading university city with the largest student residence in Spain and major new developments in the Parc de l’Alba. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: education ## Spain’s Largest Student Residence in Cerdanyola Cerdanyola del Vallès, a town of nearly 60,000 people just outside Barcelona, hosts the largest publicly funded student residence in Spain: Vila Universitària, with 2,125 beds across two sites, 1,691 in Vila 1 and 434 in Vila 2\. This exceeds the capacity of the next-largest residence, Stephouse Sevilla Carande, by almost 1,000 places, according to data from Metrópoli Abierta. The residence, located on the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus in Bellaterra, accommodates around 250 Erasmus students, primarily from Italy and other European countries, as well as students from China, the US, and Japan. An additional 175 international doctoral candidates, mostly from Asian countries, especially China, are also housed there. Despite its size, demand consistently outstrips supply. Sources from Vila Universitària confirm that all places are filled each academic year, with a waiting list maintained annually. “This year the situation is similar, although demand remains high and places are limited,” they said. ## Future Growth in Parc de l’Alba The town’s expansion continues with Parc de l’Alba, the largest urban development underway in Southern Europe. Spanning 408 hectares, the site will integrate academic, research, and business infrastructure, including the Sincrotró ALBA synchrotron facility. When complete, the macro-neighbourhood will include over 5,377 homes, half of which will be officially protected housing. The project was recently validated by the courts, though developers must address flood risk corrections, as reported by El Periòdico. Already operational is Yugo Alba Viu, the first student residence in Parc de l’Alba, which opened in the 2025–2026 academic year with 610 beds. A second, Residència Alba, is under construction and will add approximately 400 places for students, professors, and researchers by the 2027–2028 academic year. --- ## Urban Plan to Integrate Campus and Community The UAB is developing a Master Urban Planning Plan (Pla Director Urbanístic, PDU) to better integrate the campus with surrounding municipalities: Cerdanyola del Vallès, Badia del Vallès, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Sabadell. According to the Generalitat’s Deputy Director of Urban Planning Actions, Alfons Garrido, drafting will begin in early 2027, with initial approval expected by the end of that year and final approval in 2028\. The process includes public participation workshops, with registration open from 22 September to 1 October, as noted by Diari de Catalunya. Cerdanyola’s councilor for Urban Planning, Eulàlia Mimó, has also called for improved transport links, urging the construction of an interchange between Rodalies and FGC commuter rail lines to serve the growing academic and research population. ### Impact on Housing and Mobility Cerdanyola City Council states that expanding student accommodation aims to reinforce the town’s role as a “city of universities, knowledge, and innovation.” It also seeks to reduce pressure on the local rental market, currently classified as a stressed area. The UAB’s Vice-Rector for Economy, Campus and Sustainability, Xavier Gabarrell, described the PDU as essential for adapting the campus to modern needs, noting that while the university was originally designed as isolated and horizontal, new developments are increasingly vertical and integrated. Currently governed by the 1976 Metropolitan General Plan (PGM), the campus will transition to the new Metropolitan Urban Development Plan (PDUM), which aligns with a polycentric vision of the Barcelona metropolitan area. --- *Reported by metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, RosaMaria.Cabrera@uab.cat, diaricatalunya.cat, elpuntavui.cat, uab.cat, ddd.uab.cat, elperiodico.com, UAB, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Sant Cugat Second Priciest Home Market in Catalonia](https://barna.news/sant-cugat-second-priciest-home-market/) - [Asbestos Removal Starts in Badia del Vallès](https://barna.news/asbestos-removal-starts-in-badia-del/) - [Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has Europe’s highest student density](https://barna.news/sarria-sant-gervasi-has-europes-highest/) - [Two sought over armed robberies in Barcelona, Sant Cugat](https://barna.news/two-sought-over-armed-robberies-in/)