The plan, named “Valls comerç en marxa” (Valls Commerce Underway) and subsidized by the Generalitat, addresses commercial revitalization and urban improvement. Councilor for Urbanism, Sònia Roca, Councilor for Business and Employment, Rosa Rovira, and doctor architect Josep Maria Toldrà presented the initiative's main guidelines.
The primary objective is to balance commercial uses and recover the 259 empty premises, which constitute 53.18% of the total. The goal is to implement new shops and businesses to create a diverse, quality, and local commercial offering, establishing compatibility between activities and residential use.
Currently, the historic center has 228 active establishments, comprising 93 shops, 65 collective interest facilities or services, 31 restaurants, 29 offices and services, and 10 industrial activities. Councilor Rosa Rovira highlighted that the percentage of vacant premises represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs.
The plan establishes selective regulation of uses across five zones: the Old Town (Nucli Antic), Portal Nou and Camí de Tarragona, Raval de Sant Antoni, Raval del Castell, and Raval del Carme. Priority uses identified include restaurants, food shops, facilities, leisure, and tourist accommodation, consolidating streets like la Cort, Sant Antoni, Carnisseria, Major, and Portal Nou as commercial hubs.
Distances and densities for certain establishments are also set: a maximum of four shops in the Old Town and two in the other zones. A separation of 250 meters is required between nightclubs, music bars, and similar venues, 100 meters (or 50 in wider streets), and 500 meters for bingo halls and amusement arcades from educational centers.
