Our Challenge

Population ageing is reshaping housing needs across European cities, and Barcelona shows this clearly. At the start of 2026, 21.1% of the city's 1.73 million residents were aged 65 or over, and 18.6% of them were 85 or older. In some neighbourhoods, such as Canyelles, Vall d'Hebron and Les Corts, the share of older residents approaches or exceeds 30%. Nearly a third of households are one-person households, and living alone is especially common after 65. Why is this important? Many older people want to stay in their homes and neighbourhoods, but accessibility barriers, rising costs, poor building conditions and changing care needs can make this difficult. Without suitable alternatives, they may have to choose between an inadequate home and leaving the community that supports them. Housing policy for an ageing city is therefore about more than dwellings: it also concerns autonomy, care and social connection. Possible responses include adapting existing homes, accessible and affordable housing, public housing for older people, and cooperative or cohousing models that combine private space with shared facilities and mutual support. How can you help? Barcelona City Council is the stakeholder for this challenge. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will develop an evidence-based proposal that identifies a concrete ageing-related housing problem, assesses existing instruments, and compares conventional public intervention with cooperative or cohousing solutions. Recommendations must be legally and institutionally feasible, affordable and accessible, and must strengthen older residents' autonomy and community ties. During the mobility week in Barcelona, students will visit housing initiatives such as Can 70 in Sarrià, a pioneering senior cooperative-housing project developed by Sostre Cívic on municipal land.