Andorra Unanimously Approves Urban Planning Reforms to Tackle Demographic Boom

The Consell General has unanimously approved the study commission's report on territory and urban planning, along with the creation of a new legislative commission to draft reforms to the Llei General d'Ordenació del Territori i de l'Urbanisme (LGOTU). The move addresses mounting demographic pressures and aims to define a sustainable growth model before the current parliamentary term ends.

Lawmakers endorsed the report's key recommendations during a session marked by broad consensus, despite minor reservations from Andorra Endavant. Priorities include enhancing national planning coordination, updating carrying capacity studies, imposing stricter limits on certain activities like excavations, adapting infrastructure to environmental constraints, and promoting construction types suited to Andorra's terrain. These steps respond to rapid expansion, with housing stock rising 18% and population growing 12% between 2019 and 2024, often without improving access for locals and fueling saturation perceptions in some parishes.

Víctor Pintos of Ciutadans Compromesos, representing Liberals, called for updating the LGOTU to treat land as a public resource rather than merely an economic asset. He highlighted challenges in housing, sustainability, mobility, and natural resources, urging reflection on Andorra's desired model for the coming decades.

Laia Moliné of the Partit Socialdemòcrata described the discussion as deeply political, warning of declining territorial quality and advocating a framework that balances quality of life, social cohesion, and economic rights. Gemma Riba of the Democrats hailed the report as a robust, plural diagnosis achieved through dialogue, stressing collective responsibility to preserve identity amid growth.

Pol Bartolomé read prepared remarks from Concòrdia’s absent Jordi Casadevall, who praised the consensus guided by prudence and requested access to all carrying capacity studies at parish and national levels.

Andorra Endavant leader Carine Montaner supported both votes but voiced concerns over legal security for landowners facing potential downgrades in land classifications—already occurring, she noted—and excavation restrictions ill-suited to a mountainous country. "We cannot ban them," she said, committing to raise these in the new commission.

The legislative commission was constituted immediately, with its first meeting planned soon to elect leaders and accelerate work on a timely reform proposal. Groups expressed determination to build on the report's lines for a text tackling current challenges.