Alicante City Council has begun the process of amending the current General Urban Development Plan to organise the El Pino y Ruaya area in the north of the city. The proposal includes around 2,500 homes, a large urban park and a zone for businesses and services.
The city’s governing board approved the start of the process on 20 October. The next step is a strategic environmental and territorial assessment by the Valencian regional government. The project must pass further planning stages before construction can begin.
A park, homes and a commercial area
The area covers approximately 879,000 m². It is located near Avenida de Dénia, close to the boundaries with Sant Joan d’Alacant and Mutxamel. The proposal includes three main zones:
- Lomas del Pino Park, covering 340,000 m², which is to be restored and incorporated into the city’s green infrastructure;
- a commercial area of 82,000 m² along the CV-818 road, near Hogar Provincial, for businesses and services;
- a residential district of 457,000 m² next to Avenida de Dénia, with around 2,500 apartments in multi-storey buildings.
The city describes the planned neighbourhood as a medium-density eco-district. The proposal also includes traffic-calmed streets, walking and cycling routes, and connections to public transport.
Other planned districts nearby
Pino y Ruaya will be next to other areas included in Alicante’s draft General Structural Plan. Around 2,000 homes are planned in Vista Alegre and 1,300 in Alameda. Further south is the Vistahermosa-Juncaret sector, also known as PAU 3, where a further 3,500 homes are planned. These are separate projects with their own planning procedures.
The project still requires further approvals
The planning history of Pino y Ruaya dates back to a 1992 court ruling that classified part of the area as land intended for future development. The project has since been through lengthy judicial and administrative procedures.
The current decision launches another planning stage, but it does not mean that construction can start immediately. The project must first undergo an environmental and territorial assessment, followed by further planning approvals.
Alicante City Council’s official announcement about the El Pino y Ruaya project
