Barcelona’s city council has stepped up efforts to protect the social fabric of Barceloneta, one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods and among those hardest hit by tourism. With 70% of a €46 million investment plan either completed or underway, the municipality is prioritizing public housing renovations and improvements to community spaces to help long-term residents stay in the area. The push comes amid growing concern about access to housing: municipal survey figures show the share of residents who named housing as the city’s most serious problem rose from 1.8% in 2015 to 9.6% in 2023.
Mayor Jaume Collboni said the city’s strategy aims to keep locals from being forced out by the growth of short-term tourist rentals. In June 2024, he announced that Barcelona would not renew its 10,101 licensed tourist-apartment permits when they expire in November 2028, saying: “We are going to eliminate the 10,101 tourist apartments that currently exist in Barcelona in 2028.” The measure covers homes licensed for tourist use and will phase them out gradually: existing permits remain valid until they expire. Barcelona has issued no new tourist-apartment licences since the moratorium was formalized on 2 July 2015. Collboni pointed to the rehabilitation of 18 municipal apartments on Joan de Borbó. Of those, 13 are now offered as affordable rentals, while five have been allocated to social organizations. Construction also continues on 81 new homes for seniors on Pinzón street, part of a broader effort to expand the public housing stock.
Urban renewal is moving ahead on several fronts. The city is preparing to overhaul Poeta Boscà square, a central gathering place near the market. Plans call for a larger children’s play area, water features to cool the square in summer and more shade. Nearby Pepe Rubianes street is also set for a full redesign to improve accessibility and reorganize public space, incorporating suggestions from local residents. The project is in the tender phase and has a €5 million budget.
Education and community life are also on the agenda. The Escola Bressol Municipal La Mar, a municipal nursery on Andrea Dòria street, is being expanded with two classrooms, raising its capacity from 63 to as many as 100 children. Meanwhile, the historic Cooperativa Segle XX on Atlàntida street is being converted into a 682-square-meter youth and community center, scheduled to open in early 2027. The city also plans a new 636-square-meter venue for neighborhood associations on Joan de Borbó.
Health services are set to improve, too. The city has acquired the former Clínica Barceloneta to develop a new primary care center (CAP) measuring nearly 3,000 square meters. The final project is still being prepared, while an expanded version of the current CAP has been operating since January.
Collboni tied the need for more public housing directly to the impact of tourist rentals, which he said have displaced many locals. Barcelona’s controls are part of a longer regulatory sequence: Catalan Decree-Law 3/2023 established a regional structure for limiting tourist accommodation in municipalities facing housing pressure, while the city’s existing permits will expire rather than be renewed. The municipality continues to inspect illegal tourist apartments and take enforcement action. Since 2016, it has reported more than 9,077 fines and closure orders for approximately 9,700 illegal flats. Those enforcement figures concern unlicensed properties, distinct from the 10,101 licensed apartments covered by the 2028 phase-out. Around 100 illegal properties are under investigation in Ciutat Vella. Barceloneta’s commercial field is changing as well: traditional businesses are giving way to cafes and brunch spots, including ice cream shops, catering to visitors.
Barcelona’s phase-out will not immediately prohibit all short-term stays: licensed apartments may continue operating while their municipal authorisations remain valid. Since 1 July 2025, a separate Spanish national system has required short-term rentals to display a Unique Registration Number. That identifier does not replace or override local planning licences. The wider rental market adds to the challenge. Idealista data cited by Europa Press for the third quarter of 2026 showed Spain’s permanent-rental supply down 10% year over year, while temporary listings rose 7% and accounted for 34% of the market. These are national figures, not measurements specific to Barceloneta, but they point to a broader shift that could complicate efforts to return homes to long-term residential use.
Despite these changes, the neighborhood’s identity remains strong, and residents are calling for better public spaces and services. The city aims to balance local needs with the realities of tourism, a challenge facing many European cities. Similar tensions have surfaced elsewhere, including in Madrid, where authorities have responded to local crises with targeted support for affected businesses, as seen in the recent allocation of aid to firms impacted by wildfires.
Barceloneta’s history as a fishing and working-class district has shaped its character, but the influx of visitors and new businesses has accelerated change. The city’s investment plan forms part of a broader effort to preserve community life and keep impressive services accessible to residents, alongside affordable housing and public spaces. As Barcelona grapples with mass tourism, the outcome in Barceloneta could offer a model for other neighborhoods facing similar pressures.
Barcelona’s approach reflects a wider trend in Spanish cities, where local governments are increasingly stepping in to regulate tourist accommodation and invest in public infrastructure while supporting vulnerable populations. Balancing tourism’s economic benefits with the preservation of local communities remains a central issue in urban policy debates across Spain.
