Andorra la Vella Slashes Building Capacity 40% in Revised Urban Plan

Andorra la Vella's revised Pla d’Ordenació i Urbanisme Parroquial (POUP) caps building heights at seven storeys across the parish, down from a previous maximum of 15, while raising mandatory land cessions from developers to 30% to create more green spaces and facilities.

Consul Major Sergi González and Consul Minor Olalla Losada unveiled the plan on Tuesday at a press conference in the Centre de Congressos, alongside urban architect Mònica Beguer and geographer Helena Cruz of Territoris XLM. The updated strategy reduces average buildable area by 40% parish-wide compared to the 2017 plan: 15-25% on the valley floor, 30-40% mid-slope, and 50-65% in upper areas near natural spaces. "We did not want a uniform reduction across the parish. We had to consider growth volumes in each area," González explained.

The approach prioritizes habitability, identity, and sustainability, rejecting the prior plan's potential to triple the population to 76,500. New limits support growth to about 44,500 residents, with 12-18% of capacity required over the next decade. Officials project 1,600 affordable homes through public land allocations and incentives: valley-floor partial plans can add 10% extra capacity if dedicated to such housing.

At Parc Central, green communal space will grow from 12,760 to 17,964 square metres, with an underground car park. Buildable area drops from 211,771 to 163,683 square metres, compensated by allowing heights up to 10 storeys. Elsewhere, a 20-25 metre no-build buffer protects mid-slope irrigation channels, preserving their visibility, historical role, and natural function. La Comella's potential homes fall from 5,000 to 500 to safeguard green lungs, biodiversity, and water reserves.

Green space per resident will increase from 0.02 to 4.3 square metres. A green ring will link neighbourhoods, natural areas, and urban spaces, with the river as a key structuring axis. The plan emerged from a 100-member advisory council, 1,221 survey responses, youth and senior input, and workshops with 250 participants. Sites over 2,500 square metres will need impact studies.

The POUP now enters a 60-business-day public consultation for objections, targeting a final version by February and approval by late 2027.