Editing Melilla (section)

=== Urban planning ===
The urban expansion of Melilla began after the [[Treaty of Wad Ras]] in 1860, when the city experienced slow initial growth due to immigration, mainly from the Jewish community and the province of Málaga. In 1861, commercial activity began to drive the population, which that year was only 375 people. In 1868, an expansion plan was approved and executed in 1879, and in 1881, neighborhoods outside the walls, such as the Alcazaba and Mantelete, were built, allowing the population to rise to 3,031 inhabitants in 1893.

Over the years, the population of Melilla grew rapidly, especially between 1893 and 1909, when the 1893 war and the arrival of troops boosted the population to 6,000. During this time, new neighborhoods were created, and key infrastructures were built. In 1906, the population reached 8,800 people, and by 1909, the expansion intensified even further with new neighborhoods like the Hipódromo and the construction of tall buildings. However, the urbanization plan approved in 1910 was largely ignored, resulting in irregular urban growth.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-28 |title=History in summary of the limits of Melilla - MelillaHoy |url=https://melillahoy.es/historia-en-sintesis-de-los-lmites-de-melilla/ |accessdate=2025-03-11 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Modernist Expansion Area of Melilla |url=https://melillamonumental.es/conjuntos-y-propuestas-de-recorridos/conjunto-del-ensanche-modernista-de-melilla/ |accessdate=2025-03-11 |website=Melilla Monumental |language=es}}</ref>

In the following decades, Melilla continued expanding, consolidating urban property and creating informal neighborhoods, such as García Valiño and Virgen de la Victoria, in response to the growing demand for housing, especially after the [[Battle of Annual]] in 1921. The expansion culminated in 1956, with the urbanization of the last available land, consolidating the urban core of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jewish urbanism in Melilla, part of the architectural history of the city |url=https://elfarodemelilla.es/el-urbanismo-judio-en-melilla-parte-de-la-historia-arquitectonica-de-la-ciudad/ |accessdate=2025-03-11 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Autonomous City of Melilla, as unknown as valuable {{!}} 2.0Viajes |url=http://2.0viajes.com/la-ciudad-autonoma-de-melilla-tan-desconocida-como-valiosa/ |accessdate=2025-03-11 |website=2.0viajes.com}}</ref>

This process of urban growth was accompanied by the evolution of the [[Plan General de Ordenación Urbana|Plan General de Ordenación Urbana (PGOU)]] of Melilla, which aims to regulate land use and building conditions. The original PGOU was approved in 1986 and revised in 1995. Since then, the plan has undergone various modifications, such as the reclassification of barracks in 2014 and a specific modification in 2015 for the execution unit E.U.-34 Valenzuela Barracks. More recently, in 2023, a temporary suspension of construction licenses was approved due to the coexistence of the 1995 PGOU and its current revision. This process aims to ensure appropriate urban planning that adapts to the current needs of the city and promotes controlled and balanced growth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autonomous City of Melilla - General Urban Planning Plan of Melilla |url=https://www.melilla.es/melillaportal/contenedor.jsp?seccion=s_fdoc_d4_v1.jsp&contenido=8547&nivel=1400&tipo=5&codResi=1&language=es&codMenu=696&codMenuPN=602 |accessdate=2025-04-05 |website=www.melilla.es}}</ref>