The Andalusian regional government plans to publish an Urban Developer Guide in the coming weeks. The document is intended to explain the legal mechanism set out in Article 94 of the Law to Promote the Sustainability of the Territory of Andalusia (LISTA), which the government says can help speed up development in Andalusian municipalities while providing greater legal certainty and momentum for the sector.
Housing, Youth and Territorial Planning Minister Rocío Díaz announced the guide at the opening of an urban-planning forum organised by Diario Sur in Málaga. She described it as a clear, accessible “instruction manual” explaining who can act as an urban developer, in which circumstances and under what administrative procedures.
Under the mechanism, if urban or developable land is not being developed because its owners have failed to act, the administration can allow a third party to take the initiative instead. The regional government aims to involve professional developers with proven technical capacity and financial resources. They would take on the financial risk of the project under strict public supervision. The stated aim is to unlock land, mobilise resources and prevent viable projects from remaining stalled indefinitely.
Díaz said land must first be urbanised and ready for construction to build affordable homes. She also said the regional government was open to amending aspects of LISTA to make planning procedures more efficient and provide greater legal certainty. She said the government had discussed this with the sector and was speaking with municipalities about improving the rules.
Díaz argued that urban planning should encourage investment and job creation through genuine public-private cooperation, with public authorities protecting the general interest and professional companies managing projects. She opened the forum alongside Málaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre and Diario Sur director Javier Recio.
The minister also said Marbella would approve its Municipal General Urban Development Plan (PGOM) in September. She said it would be the first urban-planning document in Andalusia fully adapted to LISTA. The plan updates planning originally approved in 1986 and is intended to set out a model for a sustainable, inclusive, green and connected city.
Díaz also referred to Málaga’s PGOM, which she said could guide the city’s growth and help it address new needs. She called for urban-planning and housing policies to advance in coordination, saying that without prepared land it would not be possible to provide the affordable homes families need.
She said LISTA was introduced to address planning procedures that had been excessively long and complex, with approval of a general plan sometimes taking 10 or 15 years. The law, she said, simplifies procedures without reducing safeguards and gives municipalities more flexible tools to adapt plans to local needs. Díaz said effective planning can shape growth, improve mobility and neighbourhood cohesion, and create conditions for economic activity and employment.