Catalonia’s housing revolution: where affordability meets sustainability

JUST Stories is IHRB's series of features centred on the people, the perspectives, and the relationships at the heart of net-zero transitions. We are documenting examples of the most innovative and meaningful net zero partnerships that are advancing transitions at speed and for the benefit of those most affected.

Our third story story goes behind the scenes of a new type of housing market emerging in Catalonia - one where homes are affordable, profits are sustainable and buildings are resilient to weather extremes.

• Barcelona’s anti-tourism protests have given the city’s housing crisis global notoriety. But behind-the-scenes, a blueprint for a new sustainable housing market is emerging. The Catalonia region has become a testing ground for the development of affordable housing that is resilient to the effects of extreme weather - tackling the dual housing and climate crises.

In this story, meet the people behind this unique public-private-social collaboration:

• Come behind the scenes with the housing developers making the business case for a market that can withstand boom-and-bust to deliver long-term profits - and unlock new sources of impact investment.
• Discover how the region is tackling ‘green gentrification’, with businesses teaming up with cooperatives to deploy new materials and construction techniques, introducing climate solutions - such as renovations that improve energy efficiency - without displacing the poorest residents.
• And read how inclusive city planning encourages people to establish roots and leads to health and energy subsidy savings - with vital lessons for developers, investors and policymakers. 
• With over half the world now living in cities, Barcelona’s blueprint reveals how issues like inequality, climate change, and workers’ rights are deeply interconnected - as are the solutions to solve them.