Rebuilding the Existing City: Key to the Housing Emergency

On Monday, October 20th, the 5th session of the HABITACIÓN PROPIA Series will take place, organized by the Senior Architects of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia – COAC, focusing on “The Reconstruction” of the urban fabric.

In the context of a multifaceted housing crisis, the series offers senior perspectives with intergenerational participation to find solutions. This session focuses on an underestimated asset: Catalonia’s 4 million homes and their potential.

Some compelling data:

• 53% of the housing stock is less than 50 years old
• 69% are owner-occupied (down from 79% in 2001)
• 57% of households consist of 1-2 people, but only 37% of the housing stock is smaller than 75m²

The session is structured around two key parts:

REHABILITATION of buildings and homes, with Josep Casas (Territorial Housing Plan), co-director of the URV Postgraduate Program in Housing Policies, UNESCO Housing Chair URV; Itziar González, expert in citizen cooperation in urban renewal, Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella District Councilor (2007-2010), currently leading the rehabilitation of Olot’s historic center; and Arnau Giralt, architect.

REDEVELOPMENT of neighborhoods and urban areas, with Carles Martí (urban improvement policies), Pere Picorelli (redevelopment programs), and Professor Dr. Montserrat Pareja-Eastaway, co-director of the Barcelona Chair of Housing Studies.

The series is based on the premise that the current crisis requires action on the existing housing stock —through rehabilitation, remodeling and reuse— as a necessary complement to new construction.

Monday, October 20, 2025 | 6:00 PM
COAC Main Auditorium (hybrid)