The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, is pushing for a modification of the LAU to moderate rent increases for shops and proposes a strategic purchase fund to preserve iconic premises.
The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has opened a dual front to protect local commerce against commercial gentrification. In an interview with ACN, the first citizen has proposed regulating rents for neighbourhood and iconic shops, as well as creating a strategic purchase fund to prevent premises with heritage or identity value from disappearing due to real estate pressure.
Collboni argues that now is the time to act in light of the significant price increases that many establishments experience when ownership changes or a new contract is signed. “There is room to take more measures that protect local proximity commerce,” he stated, warning that inaction could lead to “commercial desertification.”
The first measure he proposes is a modification of the Urban Leasing Law (LAU) at the national level, to incorporate specific instruments that allow for the regulation or moderation of commercial rent increases. The municipal group of the PSC will present a proposal in this regard at the plenary session this Friday, urging the Spanish government to promote legislative change and enable mechanisms to establish price containment measures in certain areas.
The second avenue, which Collboni wants to discuss with the Generalitat before the year ends, is the application of the right of first refusal and retraction to iconic commercial premises. This mechanism, already used in the housing sector, would allow the City Council or the Generalitat to have a preferential purchase option when a premises that, due to its history or value to the neighbourhood, should be preserved is sold. The goal is to create a public fund of commercial properties that the administration manages as heritage to maintain commercial activity.
Collboni cited the model of Paris, where there is already a reserve of protected commercial premises. “I believe we are in a position to open a debate with the Government of Catalonia before the end of this year and start studying what legislative, economic, and budgetary measures should be adopted to create this strategic purchase fund,” he noted.
The mayor specified that municipalities must have the final word in protecting strategic commercial axes and tourist-pressure zones, the so-called spaces of high influx (EGA), where speculative real estate pressure is more intense and expels traditional commerce. In Barcelona, usage plans have contributed to a certain balance, but have not prevented the loss of many premises.
Collboni's proposal comes in a context of growing concern over the disappearance of historic shops in the Catalan capital, replaced by large chains or franchises. The regulation of commercial rents and the purchase fund aim to provide the administration with tools to intervene in the market and ensure commercial diversity in neighbourhoods.
The municipal plenary on Friday will debate the PSC's proposal, which seeks the City Council's commitment to defend unique shops. If approved, the council will formally urge the central government to modify the LAU and study price containment measures. At the same time, the local executive will begin discussions with the Generalitat to outline the strategic purchase fund.
The initiative has been well received by merchant associations, which have been denouncing real estate speculation in commercial rents for years. However, sources from the real estate sector warn that excessive regulation could discourage investment and reduce the supply of premises. Collboni, for his part, defends that the measure is balanced and necessary to preserve the commercial fabric of the city.
In the coming months, the Barcelona City Council plans to present a detailed study on at-risk premises and the estimated cost of the purchase fund. The intention is for the fund to start operating in 2027, with an initial allocation to be determined in the municipal budgets.
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