Regional Government Launches Director Plan for Northern Sector

The Catalan government has formally initiated the Pla Director Urbanístic dels àmbits nord de Vilanova i la Geltrú, a strategic urban planning document that will integrate major infrastructure projects in the city’s northern expansion zone. The move was confirmed by the Comissió de Territori following its recent agreement to begin drafting the plan. This plan will synchronise the development of several high-impact initiatives: the future comarcal hospital, the Eixample Nord residential and business district, a new station on the planned orbital railway line, and up to 7,000 new homes by 2045. According to projections in the Avanç del POUM (Municipal Urban Planning Scheme), this growth is expected to accommodate an estimated increase of 15,000 residents over the next two decades.

The future hospital, set to serve the Penedès region including Garraf, will be located near the Tacó-Variant and Torrent de Santa Magdalena areas. These lands offer sufficient space, municipal ownership of part of the site, and access to key highways C-15, C-31 and C-32. The facility is projected to have between 300 and 400 beds. Simultaneously, the DPTOP-approved Pla Director Urbanístic de la línia orbital ferroviària includes a reserved area for a future stop in Eixample Nord. This integration aims to create a new urban hub where health services, housing, employment, and public transport are co-located from the outset.

“We’re not just deciding where we’ll build. We’re deciding how we want Vilanova to grow and what kind of city we want to become.”
, Juan Luis Ruiz, Mayor of Vilanova i la Geltrú

Eixample Nord: A Mixed-Use Urban Quarter

Eixample Nord is being planned as a balanced extension of the city combining homes, green spaces, public services, and land for economic activity. Under the current planning framework, at least 40% of the new housing must be affordable (HPO). The aim is to avoid creating a purely residential enclave and instead foster live-work communities. The project revises earlier visions that forecasted 130,000 inhabitants by 2045. Current estimates now place the population around 85,000, based on demographic studies cited in the Avanç del POUM presented in early 2025.

Next Steps and Public Involvement

The Generalitat will lead the drafting process in collaboration with the Institut Català del Sòl (INCASÒL) and Vilanova’s town council. The plan will undergo public consultation, institutional feedback and formal approval stages before becoming binding. Residents can follow developments through the municipal news portal and the ongoing urban planning transparency platform dedicated to Eixample Nord.

Primary sources: vilanova.cat, Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú, govern.cat, ports.gencat.cat, dtes.gencat.cat, gencat.cat, ics.gencat.cat, portaldogc.gencat.cat. Reported by eixdiari.cat, laciutat.cat, Redacció Vilanova i la Geltrú, ACN, seu-e.cat, lafurapenedes.cat.