A new article by Pablo Villar-Abeijón, Carme Miralles-Guasch and Oriol Marquet has been published in Cities. The paper, titled “The impact of proximity to amenities on housing affordability: Insights from Mediterranean 15-minute cities”, examines how access to everyday amenities relates to rental prices in Barcelona, Valencia, Palma and Granada.Read more about the publication here.
The article contributes to ATRAPA’s broader work on the social consequences of proximity-based urban planning. While the 15-minute city model is often discussed in terms of accessibility, sustainability and everyday quality of life, this study shows why housing affordability must also be part of the debate.
The paper finds that the relationship between proximity and rental prices is complex and spatially heterogeneous. These findings provide useful evidence for policymakers interested in promoting proximity-based urban planning while avoiding exclusionary or unaffordable urban outcomes.
Publication
Villar-Abeijón, P., Miralles-Guasch, C., & Marquet Sardà, O. (2026). The impact of proximity to amenities on housing affordability: Insights from Mediterranean 15-minute cities. Cities, 172, 106859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.106859
