Portuguese Planning System and Housing – State of the Art

Abstract

Despite its relatively small size, the Portuguese territory exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, with a marked concentration of the population along the coast and in the metropolitan corridors between Setúbal and Braga. From 1864 to the present, the population grew to a peak of 10.5 million in 2011, followed by a slight decline in 2021, accompanied by demographic aging and internal migration toward Lisbon and Porto. The regulatory evolution of land and urban planning, from centralized state plans (before 1965) to the current Municipal Master Plans and housing policy instruments, has sought to respond to urban pressures, economic crises, and the growing demand for housing. The contemporary housing crisis is characterized by high prices, limited rental supply, an increase in single-person households, and a strong prevalence of private ownership, highlighting the need for coordinated interventions between the public and private sectors. The Portuguese planning system, flexible and multi-level, nevertheless faces challenges related to technical staff shortages and slow procedural processes.