The historic centre of Seville has lost 9.2% of its population since 2001. Mayor José Luis Sanz has presented a plan to build 1,039 homes in the area and attract 3,500 new residents in the coming years.
Seville City Council has launched an ambitious urban plan to reverse the demographic decline of the historic centre, which has lost one in ten residents this century. Mayor José Luis Sanz announced the construction of 1,039 homes in the centre and its surroundings by 2031, aiming to attract 3,500 new residents.
According to municipal registry data, the centre of Seville went from 62,776 residents in 2001 to 56,980 in 2024, representing a decrease of 9.2%. The proliferation of tourist accommodations, lack of affordable housing, and mobility issues are some of the causes identified by the City Council.
The plan, which will mobilise an investment of 300 million euros, combines municipal funds with European, state, and Andalusian regional financing. The municipal housing company, Emvisesa, will be responsible for executing the first developments, including one of 21 flats on Pajaritos Street, in the heart of the city's historic area.
“We want the centre of Seville to be a place to live,” City Council sources state. The initiative includes 11 projects that total 285 homes on vacant lots or unused municipal buildings, such as the former surgical team building, opposite the Murillo Gardens, where 61 flats will be built.
The largest development of the plan will be located in the Triana suburb, with 235 homes on Campamento Street. Other significant projects include 95 homes on San Laureano, to the west of the old town, and 53 on Cristo de las Cinco Llagas Street, near the Puerta Osario. There will also be interventions in San Bernardo.
Mayor Sanz emphasised that most of the works will begin in the next municipal term, although some will start this year. The plan adds to the mayor's commitment to promote around 20,000 homes across the capital, with a particular focus on affordable rentals.
The need for housing in the centre is urgent. In the latest call from Emvisesa for 16 official protected flats for rent on La María Street, 7,738 applicants registered, resulting in a ratio of 369 candidates for each flat.
The plan also aims to recover abandoned municipal buildings and lots that have been unused for decades. One of the most symbolic examples is the site of the former surgical team, demolished in 2008, which will now host 61 homes in the historic centre, opposite the walls of the Alcázar.
The City Council hopes this initiative will help stem the demographic bleed and revitalise a centre that, according to residents and merchants, is losing its residential character. This year's Corpus Christi procession highlighted the lack of inhabitants: the organising committee asked residents to decorate their balconies, but many were occupied by tourist apartments.
The housing plan is part of a broader strategy to address the housing crisis in Seville, where rental prices have risen by 30% in the last five years. The City Council expects the first developments to be ready by 2027.
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