In this conversation from the Neighbourhood Interview Series, Carme Trilla reflects on the evolution of housing in Catalonia, highlighting the shift from the 1980s toward models with shared spaces and communal living, driven especially in the wake of real estate crises.
The expert points out that the main barriers to implementing these models are not legal, but rather related to mindset and demand. She highlights management and consensus with residents as key elements to prevent the costs of these spaces from making housing more expensive. Furthermore, she advocates for decent housing as a preventive and cross-cutting tool capable of reducing expenditure on healthcare and social services, as well as combating unwanted loneliness.
Looking to the future, she believes it is key to pay attention to the balance between community housing and growing residential mobility. Finally, she calls on sector stakeholders to achieve major pacts and consensus to guarantee solid and lasting housing policies.
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How would you say the approach to housing in Catalonia has evolved in terms of the community dimension and shared spaces?
I would say the evolution is very clear. When I started in the 1980s, the topic of shared spaces and communal living practically did not exist in an established way, even though there must have been individual cases. It started appearing in the general conversation well into the 21st century, especially when access to housing became more difficult following the real estate bubble. From 2005–2007 onward, people began to see that housing is not just a roof, but a shared living system. But it has been above all since emerging from the crisis in 2018–2019 that the number of projects incorporating this reflection has really taken off and gained much greater significance.
What are the main legal barriers or obstacles that developers face when incorporating these services or shared spaces?
Rather than a legal barrier, it is a matter of concept and a shift in mindset. Regulations in Catalonia provide for the possibility of creating shared spaces; in subsidised service housing, they even count as protected floor area. Private developers tend to be reactive to demand. If they know that buyers or tenants will value it, they will incorporate it, just as happened in the 80s and 90s with the introduction of open-plan kitchens. This demand for a more community-oriented lifestyle has mainly taken shape in the cooperative sector and is gradually spreading to the rest.
What management formulas or community support measures do you consider best practices to guarantee harmonious co-existence and proper maintenance of these spaces?
It depends a lot on the typology and tenure model. In the cooperative model, the commitment is already present from the start. In rental housing, it is more complex because if the tenant did not choose these spaces and does not value them, passing on the construction and maintenance costs through rent backfires and complicates management. The key is prior commitment and willingness. Anything that adds features to housing that increase its cost must be strongly agreed upon with those who are going to live there; otherwise, it can be perceived as an unwanted imposition.
What impact do you think shared spaces have on reducing social and healthcare spending, and what data are missing for better decision-making?
This permeability of social costs among housing, healthcare, education and social services is a key issue that should be on the political agenda. If the population has adequate housing, healthcare and education costs decrease as if they were communicating vessels. Investing in affordable and decent housing is not a new expense, but a preventive measure that saves resources across other pillars of the welfare state. What is missing is comprehensive field research to better quantify this impact and the macroeconomic cost-benefit of these policies.
What challenges or opportunities do you see at Habitat3 when managing entire buildings with a stronger neighbourhood dimension?
At Habitat3, we have historically worked with isolated apartments across the territory, so developing and managing entire buildings is very recent for us. When working with vulnerable groups, the main challenge in shared spaces is precisely ensuring that their use is respectful and preserving the common space as a safe environment to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts among neighbours.
What role can housing with shared services play in combating issues like isolation and unwanted loneliness?
Living behind a closed door encourages loneliness; that is a fact. Fostering gathering spaces in the building helps create the social network and support that many people lack privately. It is a good formula for older adults as well as for shared parenting and single-parent families.
Looking ahead to 2050, what are your intuitions about how the definition of decent housing will evolve?
I see two main future trends. On one hand, if experiences with shared spaces are positive and backed by good management, demand will increase because people will value it as an added benefit for their personal development. On the other hand, there is growing residential mobility (linked to the labour market and tenure insecurity) driving toward individualism and more functional, temporary housing. I believe the future will lie in a dialogue between these two models and conventional housing.
After a lifetime dedicated to housing policies, what advice would you give to new generations and sector stakeholders to move the industry forward?
My main advice is that, above all, we need to reach agreements. There is a housing shortage and more needs to be built, but above all we must agree on the how: what we regulate, how we produce, and what strategies we follow. Agreement and consensus are key to achieving a solid future trajectory and avoiding swinging like a pendulum. The best housing experiences in the world are based on respect for the progress achieved, and that respect is only earned through major pacts.
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