Walter Finch
SPAIN should invest heavily in regional transport infrastructure to tackle the housing crisis gripping the country and ruining lives, according to new academic research.
University professors studying the Spanish housing market believe improved transport links could encourage people to live in less pressured areas away from popular, overwhelmed centres such as Malaga, Alicante, Palma and many more.
While Cadiz, for example, is well-connected to localities in the surrounding area by a modern tram-train line (Trambahía) that is integrated with the regional rail network extending on to Jerez and Sevilla, other provincial capitals are less well-served.
A lack of decent public transport options often forces people to focus their house hunting within cities themselves for the sake of a simple commute. Improved public transport links could ease this congestion.
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The recommendation comes from economics professors at the University of Barcelona, Complutense University of Madrid, and University College Dublin, who have identified persistent housing bubbles in Madrid and Barcelona stretching back two years.
Their study suggests that policies promoting ease of mobility to lower-density areas through better transportation links and public services could cut the pressure on some of the most in-demand cities.
Currently, workers face limited options for living outside the main cities due to infrequent buses and no trains whatsoever, forcing people into cars or to compete for housing in amarkets where prices have reached unsustainable levels.
The researchers argue that better regional transport networks would allow people to access city jobs whilst living in more affordable surrounding areas, potentially ‘curbing the dynamics that fuel real estate bubbles’.
Professor Marta Gómez Puig from the University of Barcelona and her colleagues found that housing demand has consistently outstripped supply in Madrid and Barcelona, creating ideal conditions for speculative investment.
Immigration-driven population growth has exacerbated the problem, with tourism adding additional pressure particularly on rental markets.
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The transport infrastructure proposal represents a longer-term solution alongside more immediate measures like rental price controls and restrictions on speculative property purchases.
Investment funds and wealthy individuals with multiple properties are increasingly competing with ordinary families for housing.
The academics believe their transport-focused approach could offer a sustainable solution by redistributing population pressure rather than simply trying to constrain demand within the existing urban boundaries.
Such investment would require significant government commitment but could provide long-term relief for Spain’s housing crisis whilst supporting economic development in less populated regions currently poorly connected to major employment centres.
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