One apartment building — and its tenants who faced eviction — became a potent symbol of the city’s growing housing crisis.
The city of Barcelona purchased a residential building that has become a symbol of the city’s housing crisis, a strategy becoming more common in European cities.
As Feargus O'Sullivan explains in Bloomberg CityLab, “The buyout has focused attention on new strains on Barcelona’s housing market — specifically the knock-on effects of rent control regulations and the city’s ban on short-term rentals.”
The city banned short-term rentals last year, but landlords have been exploiting loopholes that leave ‘medium-term’ rentals more loosely regulated. “In September 2024, a survey found that over 63% of Barcelona rentals advertised on Idealista were for medium-term contracts. Their average rent of €1,500 per month is €300 above the average for long-term rentals.”
The 27-unit Casa Orsola building was bought by a real estate company last year that planned to convert the units to higher-priced, medium-term rentals that would serve foreigners and evict current tenants. After protests, the city’s government agreed to purchase the building with a local affordable housing provider.
Read the full story: Why Barcelona Bought the Building That Symbolizes Its Housing Crisis
Spain Moves to Regulate Short-Term Rentals
Calls for regulation at the national level have prompted lawmakers to consider limiting tourist rentals amidst a growing housing crisis.
Spain Fines Airbnb $75 Million After Crackdown on Unlicensed Rentals
The government took action after residents in tourist centers protested, blaming tourist rentals for a growing housing crisis.
Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
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One Hundred Miles
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