The new General Plan of Málaga will relax regulations so that developers can increase height and density in urban land, aiming to expand the supply of affordable housing in the capital.
The new General Municipal Planning Plan (PGOM) of Málaga opens the door for buildings to grow taller on urban land. This was stated by José María Morente, municipal manager of Urbanism at the Málaga City Council, during the forum 'Málaga in transformation: the new general plans' held this Friday at the Málaga Palacio hotel, as reported by Diario Sur. Morente pointed out that "there are now no regulatory problems to readjust land uses," which would allow for more housing to be built upwards on the same land if the balance of uses and burdens is maintained.
The Urbanism manager, who participated in drafting the Law for the Promotion of Sustainability of the Territory of Andalusia (LISTA), argued that traditional urban planning is no longer viable today and that regional regulations allow planning to be adapted like a "tailored suit." "Urban land cannot be vacant when we have such a need for affordable housing and for logistical and technological use," he stated.
"By dividing the fixed costs of urbanization, burdens, and infrastructures among a larger number of homes per square meter, it is possible to bring properties to the market at more affordable prices"
The president of the Association of Builders and Developers of Málaga (ACP), Juan Manuel Rosillo, quantified the problem: the housing deficit in the capital and its surroundings reaches 40,000 homes, prices have accumulated 12 years of increases at double-digit rates, and about 12,000 units are sold annually compared to a net creation of 8,000 to 9,000 homes. Rosillo explained that 99% of developers operate only on final land, as managing raw land involves processing times of 10 to 15 years, lack of bank financing, and high legal insecurity.
The mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, also spoke to support the increase in density: "There are people who do not like the model, but the idea of freeing up land and turning it into vertical buildings is not wrong." The mayor cited the Martiricos towers as an example and advocated for a compact city that creates new centralities.
The architect from the Municipal Urbanism Management Francisco Marín Nieto detailed that the document is accompanied by a continuous public participation process, with a suggestion box on the municipal website that has already received proposals regarding mobility, infrastructure, and neighborhood needs. Additionally, the City Council has commissioned a technical study to characterize all municipal rustic land and assess its suitability for reduced agricultural, livestock, forestry, or tourism uses, in order to decide on growth or preservation "based on scientific evidence."
The forum also addressed that the scale of planning is no longer just municipal, but metropolitan, in light of Málaga's accelerated growth towards the Guadalhorce Valley, with municipalities such as Cártama, Pizarra, Alhaurín el Grande, and Coín. While the new PGOM is processed, ongoing projects will continue to be governed by the previous plan as long as they fit within it.
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