Marbella adopts new municipal plan to expand housing, transport and green spaces
Marbella's city council approved a new municipal planning framework that replaces the 1986 rules, enlarging urban land and setting guidelines for future housing, infrastructure and environmental protection.
Marbella’s municipal government has approved a new Plan General de Ordenación Municipal, superseding the decades-old 1986 framework and redefining the city’s growth path. The plan expands the urban footprint to roughly 53 million square metres, leaving about three million square metres of undeveloped land for future homes, businesses and services. Developers must set aside 20 percent of buildable area for affordable housing, and the scheme adds new road connections, an expanded cycling network, extra parking spaces, and reserves land for a potential railway while protecting natural corridors.
Environmental safeguards will preserve green areas and corridors. The plan also clarifies the legal situation for about 18 000 properties entangled in previous planning issues, though it does not automatically legalise them. Detailed zoning rules will be outlined in a forthcoming Plan de Ordenación Urbana, guiding implementation over the coming decades.
Why it matters
The new plan shapes Marbella’s long-term growth, affecting housing supply, transport options and environmental preservation for residents.
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