Overview
- Organizers announced on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, that the Housing World Summit (HOWS Barcelona) will run Nov. 3–5 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via during the Smart City Expo World Congress.
- The summit will feature a three-day program of about 20 sessions and more than 100 speakers focused on five pillars: land and planning, market regulation, public and affordable housing, construction innovation, and rehabilitation.
- Institutional backers include the Catalan government, Spain’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the European Union and partners such as the European Investment Bank, C40 Cities and UN‑Habitat.
- Program formats will prioritize policy-making and city cooperation with a closed meeting for mayors and housing officials plus an open international roundtable aimed at producing implementable city-level actions.
- HOWS will incorporate Barcelona’s existing Fòrum d’Habitatge i Rehabilitació and is positioned as a professional, debate-led alternative to industry expos after events like The District moved to Madrid.