General strategic framework

Summary diagnosis of the main challenges detected

The combined analysis of phase 1 (citizen survey) and phase 2 (sectoral meetings) makes it possible to identify a set of structural challenges that define Sóller's current situation and shape its future options.

These challenges are not isolated phenomena but interconnected dimensions of the same local system, in which economic, social, territorial and identity factors influence one another.

The main areas of concern detected and their strategic implications are summarised below:

1. Economic and productive model: dependency and need for diversification

Sóller shows a very high level of dependence on the tourism sector, both directly and indirectly, with 70% of residents linked to tourism as their main source of income.

While its economic weight is acknowledged, residents express fatigue and vulnerability in the face of a model that concentrates wealth, strains the labour market and produces cyclical dependency.

There is a clear need for productive diversification based on local entrepreneurship, support for small businesses, digitalisation, innovation and the promotion of local products.

This is complemented by a demand for fiscal fairness and a balanced return on resources, as well as a public-private cooperation framework that drives sustainable projects.

2. Work and labour stability: a demand for fairness and shared responsibility

The local labour market is perceived as precarious, seasonal and not very stimulating, especially among young people.

Residents call for better wages, stability and recognition of the value of work, as well as a fairer distribution of business profits.

At the same time, they value the importance of supporting people who are actively looking for work and of fostering a culture of effort, while penalising inaction or abuse of the system.

There is also a clear preference for self-employment and local businesses, and a widespread rejection of the expansion of large franchises or rootless companies.

3. Housing: a cross-cutting social emergency

Access to housing is the most shared and emotionally intense problem for the people of Sóller.

The combination of tourism pressure, real-estate speculation and limited supply for residents has turned housing into a structural matter of social cohesion.

There is broad consensus in favour of regulating holiday rentals, controlling prices and speculation, and guaranteeing decent housing for permanent residents.

This concern cuts across all ages and social profiles, and is directly tied to the desire to preserve rootedness and community continuity.

4. Territory, landscape and coexistence: preserving collective value

Residents overwhelmingly defend the effective protection of the territory and the agrarian landscape, with the idea that the countryside should be productive and alive, not merely an aesthetic backdrop.

At the same time, there is growing concern about intercultural and intergenerational coexistence, as well as the loss of collective self-esteem.

The people of Sóller want a balance between diversity and identity, avoiding both social fragmentation (ghettos, segregation) and forced assimilation.

Mobility — both within the town and access to it — is seen as one of the major bottlenecks for quality of life, with problems of traffic, parking and saturation in high season.

5. Public services and welfare: non-negotiable rights

Residents demand a sufficient public health and care network, so that they do not have to fall back on private services.

This demand applies in particular to care for older people, considered an intergenerational duty and an indicator of collective dignity.

Public services are perceived as inadequate for current demand but also as an absolute priority for local and regional public investment.

6. Culture, language and education: cohesion and future

Cultural heritage and language are widely seen as central values of identity and social cohesion.

There is consensus on the need to promote high-quality local culture, raise educational standards, and integrate the reality of tourism into the school curriculum to strengthen collective awareness of the territory.

Residents recognise that Sóller's cultural identity can be an economic and social asset, but they ask for it to be managed with care and coherence, not merely as a tourism resource.

7. Tourism: the limit of an exhausted model

Tourism remains the main economic engine but is also the main source of conflict.

The data show a widespread rejection of further growth in tourism volume — whether through hotels or holiday rentals — and broad support for reshaping the model towards a more orderly, sustainable and quality-oriented activity.

Sóller society no longer automatically equates tourism with welfare, and instead supports a new balance between economic activity and quality of life, in which planning, regulation and intelligent management are central.

8. Governance and participation: the need for mutual trust

Finally, the participatory process has revealed an explicit willingness to cooperate among residents, institutions and the private sector — alongside a demand for greater transparency, coherence and continuity in public management.

Residents want a Town Hall that is close, efficient and communicative, capable of listening, accounting for its actions and building long-term projects beyond political cycles.

This call for new governance translates into the need for stable mechanisms of participation and follow-up, such as the future Sóller Social Council, which should oversee the plan's implementation.

In short, Sóller stands at a decisive moment of redefining its future model: a municipality with a high level of civic and environmental awareness, that knows what it wants to preserve but is asking for concrete tools to transform what no longer works.

The Sóller Action Plan 2025 starts from this reality to translate it into specific, feasible and measurable actions, prioritised according to their urgency and transformative potential.

Criteria for prioritising actions

The definition and ordering of actions within this plan responds to a set of objective and participatory criteria whose purpose is to ensure that municipal effort is concentrated on what is most urgent, most feasible and most transformative for the municipality as a whole.

These criteria derive directly from citizen input, from the conclusions of the sectoral meetings, and from the technical analysis carried out during the drafting of the plan.

Level of demand and citizen valuation

The first and most decisive criterion is the level of social demand.

Actions that received the most mentions, the strongest consensus or the most positive valuation from residents in the participatory phases were treated as priorities, especially when they appeared cross-cuttingly across several sectors.

This criterion reflects the intent to put residents at the centre of local policy, ensuring that the plan responds to the real and perceived needs of the town, not only to institutional urgencies.

The most demanded actions — such as regulating holiday rentals, improving internal transport, or strengthening cleaning and coexistence — have been placed at the first levels of execution.

Technical, administrative and economic feasibility

No action can be effective if it is not doable.

For that reason, the technical, jurisdictional and budgetary requirements of each proposal have been analysed, prioritising those that can be carried out directly by the Town Hall or through workable collaborations with other administrations.

Particular weight has been given to actions with high impact and low initial complexity, and to those that can produce visible results within a short period.

This criterion ensures that the plan is realistic and executable, avoiding the dispersion or inaction that comes from unattainable proposals.

Social, territorial and environmental impact

Actions have been weighed according to their expected impact on quality of life, social cohesion and the sustainability of the territory.

Priority is given to measures that:

• directly benefit a larger number of residents,
• improve accessibility and inclusion,
• or help reduce pressure on the environment and the landscape.

Actions with multiplying impact have also been valued positively — that is, those that produce positive effects in more than one area (for example, a mobility improvement that reduces emissions while also strengthening local commerce).

Synergies and strategic coherence

Many of the plan's actions are not independent, but complementary or sequential.

To ensure a systemic vision and avoid duplication, an effort has been made to identify and group actions that share objectives, resources or fields of application.

This makes it possible to coordinate efforts and establish logical execution sequences (for example, regulating traffic before creating new peripheral car parks).

This coherence criterion ensures that each action contributes to the overall future model for Sóller, reinforcing its effectiveness and continuity over time.

Time balance: short, medium and long term

The plan is divided into three time horizons — short (0–6 months), medium (7–18 months) and long (>18 months) — to ensure a progressive and sustainable execution rhythm.

This structure allows for tangible short-term results (visible improvements, management adjustments) while structural projects of greater scope are launched (urban planning, housing, the tourism model, etc.).

The aim is to combine immediate-response actions with lasting transformations, keeping the balance between what is urgent and what is strategic.

Equity and inclusion criterion

As a cross-cutting principle, all actions have been evaluated for their potential to reduce inequalities and improve universal accessibility.

Priority is given to initiatives that benefit vulnerable groups (older people, young people, seasonal workers, families with difficulties accessing housing, etc.) or that foster coexistence and equal opportunities.

This focus ensures that Sóller's development is cohesive and fair, and that prosperity does not rest on new forms of exclusion.

Together, these prioritisation criteria make it possible to align the plan with the citizens' vision, secure its real feasibility, and maximise its positive impact on the territory and the community.

Classification of the actions

From this framework, the short-, medium- and long-term actions are structured, forming the operational core of the Sóller Action Plan 2025.

The actions are classified according to the detail set out in the following table:

For each action, every line will include:

• a brief description,
• a measurable objective,
• a specific timeframe,
• an indicative budget,
• the responsible or collaborating actors,
• and the linked actions with other phases of the plan.

This format guarantees the plan's internal coherence and the traceability of every measure within the whole.