Escaldes-Engordany Faces Backlash Over High-Rise Towers Devouring Green Spaces

Political tensions have flared in Escaldes-Engordany over the parish's high-rise urban development model, with residents decrying the loss of green spaces, parking areas, and playgrounds to towering buildings that block sunlight and overshadow the landscape.

Four skyscrapers now stand completed, while three more are under construction on plots bounded by Arnaldeta de Caboet, Nacions Unides, François Mitterrand, and Consell de la Terra streets. Two additional projects are under review by the local council. Recent work has closed the parking lot and children's playground on Avinguda de les Nacions Unides, reigniting public and political backlash.

The controversy peaked at the council session on 4 December. Opposition Democrats accused the majority of failing to block the projects, arguing that tools existed to compel owners to reduce building heights—even if it meant fully occupying the plots. Consols Rosa Gili and Quim Dolsa reacted sharply, defending their efforts to limit the impact of developments approved under previous administrations led first by the late Toni Martí and then Trini Marín.

A banner on one construction site's fencing proclaimed: "We are working to minimise the impact of inherited urban projects." Gili, who joined the council in December 2019, stressed that halting the towers—already built or underway—would trigger lawsuits and likely multimillion-euro indemnities for the parish.

The buildings occupy Clot d'Emprivat, meadows redesignated as developable land in the parish's first urban plan in 2005. Roads and basic services were completed by 2006. The initial tower permit request came in October 2018, when the plan's first revision required just 15% open space at street level. A 2023 amendment raised this to 50-64%, depending on building type.

Back in 2022, Zaira Nadal, then dean of the architects' association, warned that the towers "devour the mountain" and cast "considerable shadows," leaving fewer sunny spots for residents. Despite modifications and explanations, the issue continues to divide the community.