🇵🇹 Braga Is Growing: Housing, Mobility, and Quality of Life
Braga is experiencing significant growth — which brings both challenges and opportunities, especially for the international community that has made this city their home.
🏠 Housing: Population Growth and Real Estate Challenges
Braga's population has reached a record 201,583 residents, up from 193,333 in the 2021 Census. This increase — also driven by the large student population from the University of Minho — is putting pressure on the housing market, making it harder to find affordable homes.
Proposed solutions include:
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Public-private partnerships to increase housing availability
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Tax incentives to promote affordable housing development
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Supporting housing cooperatives and alternative ownership models
🚗 Mobility: A Need for Smarter, Sustainable Solutions
Urban growth hasn’t been matched by smart mobility infrastructure. Braga leads European cities in daily car usage: 70% of residents use their car, while only 27% use public transport (Expresso article).
Ideas being discussed to improve mobility include:
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Implementation of a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system
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Expanding bus coverage to areas outside the BRT corridor
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Creating more safe cycling routes
💼 Economy: Innovation and Business Growth
Braga's business sector is also growing steadily. In 2022, companies represented by the Braga Business Association generated over €7.1 billion in revenue — around 3% of Portugal’s GDP. Commerce, tourism, services, and industry continue to be the pillars of this economic expansion.
Braga remains a vibrant, welcoming city. But to maintain its quality of life, it needs smart planning — especially in housing and transport — to keep up with its rapid growth and to ensure long-term sustainability for all who live here.
You can read the original article (in Portuguese) at Braga TV: https://bragatv.pt/braga-em-crescimento-habitacao-mobilidade-e-qualidade-de-vida
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