Madrid City Council plans to approve the new Municipal Strategic Plan in February 2027, which will replace the General Plan from 1997. Among its innovations is a digital simulator of the city and the possibility of constructing taller buildings in new urban developments.
The City Council is finalising the details of what will be the new Municipal Strategic Plan, a document that will replace the current General Urban Planning Plan, approved nearly 30 years ago. According to Urbanism delegate Borja Carabante, the plan is expected to be ready for initial approval in January 2027 and receive final approval in February of that same year.
The plan incorporates three major innovations: the creation of a digital twin of the city, the relaxation of maximum heights in new neighbourhoods, and the commitment to balanced neighbourhoods that combine housing, commerce, and offices. The aim is to modernise urban planning and adapt it to the needs of the 21st century.
A simulator to anticipate urban impact
One of the most innovative tools will be Madrid's digital twin, a simulator capable of reproducing the impact of any urban action before it is executed. The system already has a functional viewer, and the City Council is working on the final application, which will be ready in the coming weeks.
This simulator will allow for diagnosing the situation of each neighbourhood and district, and predicting how new developments will affect the saturation of services such as schools, health centres, metro stations, bus lines, or green areas. “It will be able to indicate which areas will become saturated, where a school is needed, a metro station, bus lines, green areas…,” explained Carabante.
The tool will be integrated into a software application that will be available to municipal technicians and, presumably, also to citizens to facilitate transparency and participation.
Taller buildings in new neighbourhoods, with conditions
Another innovation of the plan is the possibility of constructing taller buildings in new urban developments. The current General Plan sets a maximum of 10 or 12 storeys in general. However, in new neighbourhoods, the housing density is much lower: while in more central areas it hovers around 90-100 homes per hectare, in newly created districts it is around 40.
According to Carabante, “it is possible to grow taller in Madrid under certain conditions.” These conditions include the existence of sufficient facilities, adequate public transport, and adherence to habitability and sunlight conditions. In this way, the aim is to densify new neighbourhoods without sacrificing quality of life.
The City Council thus aims to promote more compact and efficient growth, avoiding urban sprawl and making better use of available land.
Balanced neighbourhoods and streamlined processes
The plan also advocates for a more balanced city model. It seeks for each neighbourhood to have a proportionate mix of housing, shops, hotels, public facilities, and offices. As an example, Carabante cited the Méndez Álvaro neighbourhood, where a balance between residential and tertiary uses has been achieved.
Moreover, urban regulations will become municipal ordinances, which will facilitate their adaptation and expedite the processes for modifying property uses. This will allow the City Council to respond more quickly to the changing needs of the city.
The new plan will undergo a public information period of between five and six months before its final approval. During this time, citizens and entities will be able to submit objections and suggestions.
For the residents of Madrid, the plan represents a change in model: the city will stop being planned with a rigid 1997 document and will move to a flexible tool, supported by digital data, that will allow for anticipating needs and adjusting growth to real demands. New neighbourhoods may have taller buildings, but only if they have sufficient services, which could translate into a greater housing supply in well-connected areas.
The City Council expects the plan to be operational throughout 2027, once all administrative procedures have been completed.
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