Valencia approves 77 protected townhouses with pools in port logistics zone

The Valencia City Council’s urban planning commission approved the construction of 77 single‑family townhouses, each with a shared swimming pool, on public land in the Zona de Actividades Logísticas (ZAL) of the Port area. The project, led by developer Albaluz, is part of the regional "Plan Vive" housing programme. The land, owned by the public housing agency EVHA, will be transferred to the developer in a swap valued at €1.7 million, with ten of the units allocated to the Generalitat.

Opposition parties and local platforms criticised the scheme as “luxury protected housing”, questioning who will be able to afford the homes and alleging an indirect privatisation of public streets. The municipal administration, headed by Mayor María José Catalá, maintained that the plan complies with urban‑planning law and simply revives a 2008 design to grant the winning developer greater flexibility. The controversy reflects a broader national debate on whether protected housing is fulfilling its social purpose or becoming a niche market for private developers.