Portimão moves forward with the new phase of the PDM planning review.
The consultation meeting brought together around 40 organisations that have already given their opinions on the proposed revision of the plan, which is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2026.
By holding its first consultation meeting last week, Portimão City Council began a crucial new phase in revising the Municipal Master Plan (PDM). This strategic process reinforces the council’s vision of the city as a centre for innovation, knowledge, and quality of life.
After years of preparation, this new stage marks the start of a concerted plan, bringing together opinions from around 40 organisations. The plan reflects the diversity of interests and the importance of the territory’s sustainable development.
With the aim of affirming Portimão as the capital of the Western Algarve, this revision of the PDM proposes a territorial model that focuses on urban revitalisation, the qualification of existing buildings and the creation of agile legal mechanisms that promote the requalification of public spaces and housing. A good example of this idea is the fact that the increase in urban land is only 2%, favouring the consolidation of existing perimeters, in a clear commitment to sustainability.
Innovation and knowledge are the fundamental pillars of this plan. The creation of a new university campus and the implementation of innovation and technology business parks are some of the proposals aimed at diversifying the city’s economic base, mitigating its dependence on tourism and creating opportunities to attract skilled labour, attracting investors and promoting a dynamic year-round economy.
Quality of life is at the centre of this strategy, offering an urban proposal that lives up to the expectations of its inhabitants and visitors. This plan, which estimates that Portimão’s population will grow by 10 percent by 2040, aims for qualification rather than massification. It guides housing policy with public-private partnerships to provide affordable housing, allowing young couples and professionals to settle and reinforcing essential public services.
Portimão is a strong brand, rooted in its cultural and historical identity. The valorisation of its symbols – such as the sardine, the Alvor estuary, the River Arade and the canning tradition – leverages the city as an attractive destination to live, invest, study, work and visit.
This plan reinforces Portimão’s centrality in the regional context, consolidating it as the driving force behind the economic and social development of the Western Algarve. Portimão City Council thus reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable, innovative and promising future, where quality of life and cultural identity come together in favour of collective well-being.
