Palma keeps building: 64 apartments in Son Güells – who is the neighborhood for?

Palma keeps building: 64 apartments in Son Güells – who is the neighborhood for?

Construction start in Palma's new district raises questions about social mix and infrastructure

On the construction site in Son Güells gravel crunches, a crane for a moment draws a geometric picture against the sky. There are 64 apartments to be built now: one- to four-room apartments, penthouses with roof terraces, ground-floor flats with gardens. 38 units will be sold on the open market, 26 will be offered at capped prices. Those are the sober numbers — but the decisive question is: Is that enough to ease the pressing problems on Palma's housing market?

The key question is clear: How much affordable housing is really in such projects — and how are the consequences for neighborhood, traffic and services taken into account?

Briefly analytical: 26 of 64 apartments are roughly 40 percent of the project. At first glance that sounds like a decent share. In practice, however, the definition of capped prices, the target groups for the flats and the duration of any price binding determine whether young families, employed care workers or hospitality staff actually benefit. The facts package states the number of subsidized units, but not the concrete rent or purchase prices, the target groups or the length of a possible binding. This gap is relevant.

What is often downplayed in public debate: infrastructure is not an add-on. Son Güells is planned as a new neighborhood; according to the available information around 3,000 further apartments are foreseen in the area. That changes traffic flows and raises demand for school places, doctor appointments, childcare and green spaces. And precisely these planning questions are often missing in early project announcements: How many daycare places will there be? Are there binding commitments for bus lines or safe bike lanes? Who will cover the costs for roads and utilities — the municipality, the developer or the future residents?

A small everyday glimpse: On a windless morning, before the midday heat sets in, a caregiver cycles past with a rattling shopping basket and a bag of bread under her arm. The construction noise is an everyday sound — and at the same time it becomes clear how quickly new apartment blocks increase mobility needs. The neighbor with a dog is often absent from the plans as a voice; she does not ask about square metres but about benches and trees, about summer shade and safe paths in the evening.

Where does it get stuck concretely? First: transparency. Information on price caps, selection criteria and binding periods must be published so that interested people can orient themselves. Second: traffic and connectivity. A package of increased bus frequency, well-marked bike lanes and car-sharing offers must be planned already during construction. Third: social infrastructure. Daycare places, primary schools and health services are not "nice to have" — without them the resident structure shifts toward second homes and capital investors.

Concrete solutions that could be considered in Son Güells include: a binding quota of socially priced apartments for at least 20 years; a municipal contribution to daycare places as a condition for building permits; a mobility package with subsidies for public transport subscription tickets for newcomers; support for cooperative housing so that not only individual investors benefit; and binding planting and open-space standards so that the neighbourhood character is not smothered in concrete.

Politically, it could also be considered to approve development in stages: infrastructure first, then the final construction phases. That gives the city time to respond to actual demand and traffic flows — and prevents entire neighbourhoods from arising before bus lines and schools are in place.

Son Güells is not just an architectural style: it is the sum of many decisions that will shape daily life in Palma. If the municipality and developers now speak on equal terms, with clear commitments to affordability and services, the neighbourhood can become a real place to live. If not, it will remain more of a row of modernly equipped apartments — pleasant to look at, but with gaps for those who want to live and work here.

Conclusion: The start of construction is a cause for relief — building is underway and apartments are coming. But without concrete commitments to price binding, infrastructure and participation, Son Güells risks becoming another step that mainly creates property instead of vibrant neighbourhoods. The city now has the chance to make rules binding. Whether it takes it will be seen in the next loads of the excavators.