The maximum housing density is the regulatory parameter that we find in most urban planning to limit an “overcrowding” per unit of area in cities and regulate the density based on urban criteria. It is important to take this into account when creating new homes in new construction buildings or also when making a change of use , or even a housing segregation (splitting a large house into two or three) a process in which new houses are also created.
In Barcelona, this parameter is regulated in two regulations:
- N.N.U.U. Urban Regulations of the General Metropolitan Plan
- O.M.E. Metropolitan Building Ordinances
1. UN of the General Metropolitan Plan of Barcelona
We find the definitions of housing density for each zone:
DENSITY OF HOUSING IN ZONE 12
The original article defined housing density based on a ratio per hectare.
Article 318 – Maximum number of dwellings per plot. Applications for building in subzone I, to replace the old building, must limit the number of dwellings per plot, to the excess resulting from the limit of two hundred houses per hectare of land, or proportional part, buildable on each plot at height regulatory corresponding.
But this article was modified in 2004 due to the complication of housing accounting when carrying out change of use operations.
The final article with the modification, referring to the municipality of Barcelona, is as follows:
Art. 318. Maximum number of dwellings per plot (exclusively applicable in the municipality of Barcelona) 1. Applications for building in subzone I, to replace the old building, must limit the number of dwellings per plot to which , by excess, is the result of dividing the constructed area by the 80 m2 module. 2. For the purposes of this article, the constructed area is understood to be that between the exterior walls of the building. The light and ventilation patios are included, and the projecting bodies and the ground floor surface that exceeds the depth of the floors are excluded.
You can check the full article here:article 318
DENSITY OF HOUSING IN ZONE 13
Article 323 is the one that regulates the number of homes in the expansion areas, zone 13 according to the planning, the modifications of the article that are detailed below refer to the area of Barcelona although in Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet they also assumed the module of 80 m2 per dwelling.
Article 323 – Maximum number of dwellings per plot of the urban planning regulations of the PGM of 1976 says : “The buildings that are erected in Subzone I, intensive, and in Subzone II, semi-intensive, may not pass per plot a number of homes equal to that resulting from the excess of applying the maximum of 350 and 250 homes, respectively, per hectare of land, or proportional part, buildable at the corresponding regulatory height. ”
We quote the modified article below:
The modification of Art. 323 – Maximum number of dwellings per plot: “ (Exclusively applicable in the municipality of Barcelona) 1. The buildings that are erected in Subzone I, intensive and in Subzone II, semi-intensive, a number of dwellings equal to that resulting, by excess, from dividing the constructed area by the 80 m2 module may not pass per plot. 2. For the purposes of this article, the constructed area is understood to be that between the enclosures The exterior of the building includes the light and ventilation patios, and the projecting bodies and the ground floor surface that exceeds the depth of the upper floors are excluded. (…)
You can check the full article here: article 323
As you may have seen, the two modified articles are the same, contrary to the original article that distinguished housing density in zone 12 and zone 13. Although it may be logical that there are different densities depending on the zone in which the building is located (Maybe a city with a density always the same would be very boring) if we define the density as a function of the built surface, this will be a simple condition and always the same normatively, but we will maintain this variety of densities since in the areas where there are more Constructed area because more buildability is allowed inherently will have a potential for higher housing density. We therefore believe that it has been a good regulatory modification.
2. Metropolitan Building Ordinances
Article 179 – Maximum name of housing per parcel
For the purposes of the articles 318 and 323 of the urban regulations of the General Metropolitan Plan, the following is determined:
1. The limits of 200, 350 and 250 habitats per hectare are referenced to the mitigated values of the units of the zone of anti-nucli and of intensive and semi-intensive urban densification.
2. These limits refer to the portion of the unfinished parcel where the buildable depth of the respective hill is transformed into 334, 500 and 358 habitats per hectare, respectively.
Definitively approved, conforming to the 68 of the Barcelona Municipal Charter, by the Plenary of the Municipal Council of April 30, 2004 (BOP no. 302 of 12/17/04).
Title III
Provisions complementàries de les Normes urbanístiques
Chapter 1r.
Provisions on the building in general
Art. 179. Maximum name of dwellings per parcel.
This article is repealed.
