To prioritise refurbishment instead of demolition and construction of new housing

It is important to foster a new culture of refurbishment throughout Catalonia that prioritises refurbishment, expansion and transformation instead of demolition or the conversion of rural land into urban land. This will help to achieve a more compact, cohesive territory and will help to reduce Catalonia's environmental footprint. Certain specific actions may include: only authorising demolition in highly justified circumstances (economic or physical ruin); building and tax incentives to promote the energy rehabilitation of the housing stock built before 1970; offering public grants directly for associations of owners in order to refurbish properties to reduce energy consumption and improve building security; promoting comprehensive refurbishment areas through a cooperation model; and, above all, expediting the processing of building licences along with all other permits associated with development (public highway occupation, cranes, no parking spots, demolition, provisional site meters, etc.), increasing densities where feasible and mapping out and determining the existing housing stock to combat overcrowding and substandard housing.