The shape and design of Madrid could fall into the hands of private developers.
Every 15 years, Spain’s capital reviews its urban plan with a view to guiding future development.
City officials this time want dramatic change, but critics fear this will lead to a repeat of mistakes made in the past by allowing private developers a free hand.
The vision includes transforming the city into one of grand boulevards, tree-lined streets, and green spaces. Car lanes will be replaced by bicycle lanes, parking lots sold for redevelopment, public transport will play a more prominent part, and pedestrians will have safer ways.
After canvassing opinion from 3,000 residents, an early draft plan of 4,000 pages has been published. It points to neighbourhoods without cars, and a return to bicycles and walkers.
The city council’s urban planner said: “It’s a return to what used to exist in Madrid.” She added: "It's the 21st century – we can't have our city all tied up."
The last plan in 1997 unwittingly helped open the way for the property bubble. It predicted indefinite growth. More than half a million house construction licences were granted between 1997 and 2011, but population growth was just 390,000.
It left the city suburbs with empty construction sites, abandoned buildings and roads going nowhere.
Madrid is keen to attract more tourists, as numbers have fallen in the past several years. The economic crisis has forced the closure of 4,500 bars and hundreds of cultural institutions.
The capital is €7.5 billion in debt, but still hopes to implement the plan in 2015.
