Malaga and Cadiz share objectives to increase housing offer and improve coexistence with tourism

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The mayor of the two Andalusian cities discussed the future of their municipalities and their growth at the forum SUR and Fundación Unicaja hosted in Malaga

Ignacio Lillo and Jesús Hinojosa

Malaga

Friday, 10 April 2026, 12:48

The Fundación Unicaja cultural centre in Malaga hosted Mayor Francisco de la Torre and Mayor of Cadiz Bruno García, who participated in a forum on the future of the two cities on Friday. Director of Diario SUR Javier Recio acted as moderator.

Head of Fundación Unicaja José Manuel Domínguez introduced the speakers at the start of the event. The meeting served to not only strengthen ties between the two provincial capitals but also highlight that, despite their differences in scale, they share similar challenges, including the lack of housing and the management of tourist success and coexistence between residents and visitors.

Housing: the biggest challenge

For both mayors, housing is the "great challenge" that shapes the future of their cities. Bruno García said that land is a luxury in Cadiz due to its geography. For this reason, he advocates for "increasingly restrictive regulations on tourist accommodations" and for taking advantage of the regional government's decree to allocate underutilised spaces for residential use.

"It's a city issue. If there are no houses, there is depopulation," García said, reminding the attendees that the city has been losing residents at a rate of 1,000 inhabitants per year for three decades.

De la Torre presented Malaga's figures: 1,600 homes on designated public land and a plan to add another 5,000 homes through public-private partnerships. According to De la Torre, "the electricity bottleneck" is what hinders the development of new land in the Costa del Sol capital.

De la Torre announced that he had written to the minister for ecological transition and the president of Red Eléctrica to address the lack of power capacity that is hindering developments like the one in Lagar de Oliveros. "The gap between supply and demand is widening; without energy there are no houses," he said.

Coexisting with tourism

The debate on coexistence with tourists was another hot topic at the forum. Both Cadiz and Malaga admit they have reached their tourist capacity limit and are now seeking "quality over quantity".

De la Torre was particularly critical of the central government for its refusal to implement a "tourist tax" - a tool he intends to allocate entirely to "reducing social housing rents" and promoting tourism excellence, with campaigns in the luxury markets of the US and Asia. "I don't understand why they're doing it so badly. This will not be the case when the government changes," the mayor said.

García openly admitted that Caddiz doesn't want to increase the number of tourists, having gone from receiving 30 cruise ships in 2007 to the current 350. He considers the city to be at an "optimal point". However, he warned that the priority is maintaining the "authenticity and essence" of areas like La Viña and El Pópulo. "We're not looking for more numbers, but rather for people who love Cadiz and respect coexistence," he stated on Friday, highlighting milestones such as the recent electrification of the docks to reduce the impact of cruise ships.

The wider areas of the two provincial capitals

The integration of the population in areas just outside the big cities is another strategic axis for the development of both Cadiz and Malaga, albeit with different approaches.

Bruno García is concerned about the population loss from the city to its extensive surrounding area, citing municipalities like San Fernando, El Puerto de Santa María and Chiclana, which rely on the Cadiz tram-train. He believes that these towns should be allies in retaining residents, provided this growth does not exacerbate the housing shortage in the city.

De la Torre, on the other hand, considers Malaga's surrounding areas vital for providing housing for thousands of city residents. He focused on the Guadalhorce Valley, stating that rail transport, via the C2 commuter line, is the true engine of expansion.

He criticised the current infrequent and insufficient service, with trains running only once an hour. "The development of the wider area is linked to improving the commuter rail network. Only with efficient transport will residents be able to choose to live in the suburbs, revitalising the area and balancing the urban pressure on the city."

On this point, both leaders agree: without robust transport, there is no metropolitan cohesion.

Coastal train demands

The connection between the two provinces also featured prominently. On this point, both mayors reiterated the long-standing demand for a coastal train line to Algeciras.

García highlighted the need to improve the Vejer-Tarifa road and the Jerez-Los Barrios motorway, vital arteries for Spain's most important cargo port.

Another common issue is funding. According to De la Torre, Spanish municipalities receive the lowest resources of any municipalities in Europe, violating the EU principle of subsidiarity. "What can be done at the local level, should be done at the local level, from the bottom up," he stated.

Political harmony

The meeting ended with a brief mentioning of the Andalusian elections in May. Both mayors are rallying behind the current regional president - Juanma Moreno, whom they described as "the best proven candidate".

De la Torre said that he has "no complaints" regarding the current regional government, highlighting its positive working relationship, institutional loyalty and support for key projects like the Guadalmedina project. Bruno García focused on criticising the opposition. "The others only work to create problems for us, not to provide stability," he said.

The day's events yielded a clear conclusion: Malaga and Cadiz don't just want to be tourist destinations, but places to live. To achieve this, the future lies in the management of surrounding areas and controlling the side effects of tourism's success.