Marbella has definitively approved its new Plan General de Ordenación Municipal (PGOM), replacing a general planning framework dating back to 1986 and opening a new chapter for one of Spain’s most important property markets.
Last week, NLS Spain reported that Marbella was approaching one of its most significant urban planning decisions in decades.
Now, the decision has been made.
On 18 September 2026, Marbella City Council definitively approved the city’s new Plan General de Ordenación Municipal (PGOM) — the first in Andalucía adapted to the region’s LISTA planning legislation.
For the real estate industry, the scale of the new framework can be understood through several key figures:
53 million m² of urban land.
Around 18,000 homes affected by historic planning uncertainty.
20% of buildability reserved for protected housing under applicable development.
And a general planning framework finally moving Marbella beyond a system established 40 years ago.
The plan was approved with votes in favour from the governing PP, OSP and Vox, while PSOE abstained.
From 40 Million to 53 Million m²
One of the most significant figures within the new PGOM is the amount of land now classified as urban.
Marbella’s previous planning framework recognised approximately 40 million m² of urban land.
The new PGOM establishes approximately:
53 MILLION m²
That represents an increase of around 12.5 million m² compared with the previous framework.
This does not mean an additional 12.5 million m² is immediately available for construction.
Urban classification, development rights and the ability to build are separate issues, and much of the detailed planning will depend on Marbella’s forthcoming Plan de Ordenación Urbana (POU).
What the figure does demonstrate is the scale of Marbella’s transformation since the 1986 framework was established.
18,000 Homes and Greater Planning Certainty
For existing property owners, another figure could prove even more significant:
18,000 homes.
Around 18,000 properties were left outside regular planning status as a consequence of Marbella’s complex urban planning history.
That history includes the annulment of the 2010 PGOU by Spain’s Supreme Court in 2015, which resulted in the municipality returning to its 1986 planning framework.
According to reporting following the approval, the new PGOM provides a new planning basis and greater legal certainty for thousands of properties affected by these inherited circumstances.
For Marbella’s property market, that matters.
Planning certainty can influence transactions, financing, valuations and investment decisions — particularly in an international market where buyers and their legal advisers routinely carry out extensive due diligence before committing capital.
20% Reserved for Protected Housing
Another important figure within the new framework is:
20%.
According to the City Council, the PGOM provides for 20% of buildability to be reserved for protected housing.
This comes at a time when Marbella faces the challenge of balancing its continued growth as an international luxury destination with housing accessibility for the people who live and work in the municipality.
Marbella’s international success has driven significant demand for property, but the city must also accommodate local residents and workers across hospitality, healthcare, education, professional services and other industries.
Exactly how much protected housing ultimately reaches the market — and where — will depend on the detailed planning and development process that follows.
Marbella Is Planning for More Than Property
The PGOM extends beyond residential development.
It establishes the wider territorial framework through which Marbella can plan future infrastructure, mobility, public facilities, green areas and economic activity.
This distinction is important.
One of Marbella’s major challenges over the coming decades will not simply be how much property can be developed, but whether infrastructure can keep pace with population growth, tourism and investment.
Roads, public transport, water, energy, parking and other essential services will increasingly determine where and how future development can realistically take place.
The PGOM establishes the general framework. The detailed implementation will come through subsequent planning.
64 Million m² of Rural Land
Marbella’s municipal territory covers approximately 117 million m².
Under the new framework, around:
53 million m² is classified as urban land
and
64 million m² as rural land.
Of that rural land, reporting on the approved plan indicates that approximately 30 million m² could potentially be transformed in accordance with planning regulations.
Again, this should not be interpreted as 30 million m² becoming immediately available for development.
Any future transformation would remain subject to planning regulations, infrastructure requirements, environmental considerations and further approvals.
For developers and investors looking at Marbella over a longer horizon, however, it is a figure worth watching.
Why This Matters for Marbella Real Estate
For decades, Marbella has faced an unusual contradiction.
It has developed into one of Spain’s most internationally recognised residential markets while operating under a general planning framework originating in 1986.
In the years since, the city has changed dramatically.
Its population has expanded, international investment has increased, the luxury residential sector has evolved and infrastructure demands have grown.
The new PGOM does not resolve every urban planning question overnight.
What it does provide is a modern general framework under Andalucía’s LISTA legislation from which future decisions regarding housing, development, infrastructure and investment can be made.
For property professionals, developers and investors, greater clarity around Marbella’s long-term planning direction could become increasingly important.
The Process Is Not Finished
There is one important qualification.
Marbella now has its new PGOM.
It does not yet have a completed Plan de Ordenación Urbana (POU).
Under Andalucía’s current planning system, the two documents have different functions.
The PGOM establishes the municipality’s general territorial and structural model.
The POU provides much of the detailed urban planning required to implement that model.
The POU remains under development.
For the real estate industry, this means the approval of the PGOM should not be interpreted as every outstanding planning issue in Marbella being immediately resolved.
There is still significant work ahead — and the POU will be the next major document to watch.
From 1986 to 2026
Perhaps the clearest way to understand the significance of Marbella’s decision is through one final comparison:
1986 → 2026
Forty years separate the city’s previous general planning framework from the approval of the new PGOM.
During that period, Marbella has evolved into a highly international property market attracting buyers and investment from across Europe and beyond.
The city has grown.
Its buyer profile has diversified.
The luxury sector has expanded.
And the demands placed on Marbella’s infrastructure have increased considerably.
Its general planning framework is now beginning to reflect that reality.
The Numbers Behind Marbella’s New Planning Era
53 million m²
Urban land recognised under the new PGOM.
+12.5 million m²
Increase compared with the previous planning framework.
18,000 homes
Properties affected by inherited planning irregularities for which the new framework seeks to provide greater legal certainty.
20%
Protected housing reservation within applicable buildability.
40 years
The age of the general planning framework Marbella is now moving beyond.
These figures explain why the approval is more than another administrative planning decision.
It establishes the framework within which a significant part of Marbella’s future development will be considered.
What Happens Next?
Last week, the question was whether Marbella would finally approve its new general urban planning framework.
Now we have the answer.
The more important question for the property industry is what happens next.
The significance of the PGOM is not that 53 million m² of Marbella can suddenly be developed. It is that the municipality now has a modern framework from which decisions surrounding housing, infrastructure, development and investment can move forward.
The next document to watch is the POU.
That is where many of the details relevant to developers, property owners and real estate professionals will become clearer.
For Marbella’s property market, the approval of the PGOM is therefore not the end of the planning story.
It marks the beginning of its next phase.
Sources: Marbella City Council, Cadena SER Marbella and Marbella24Horas. Published information dated 18 September 2026.
