Palma announces large investment budget – around 624 million euros

Palma focuses on visible projects and a transport transition

In the morning, when the sun still hung low over the cathedral and the first delivery vans rumbled along the Passeig del Born, the town hall presented the new budget plan. One thing is clear: Palma intends to spend significantly more next year – the package amounts to just under €624 million. That is not insignificant; that is real money.

What is planned (and where you will notice it in everyday life)

Keywords are familiar and are finally becoming more concrete: the renovation of Plaça Major, the redesign of the distinctive GESA building, a new exhibition center and a botanical garden. Streets, sidewalks and street lighting are also to be renewed. You notice that quickly because you curse at potholes every day or do not like walking past poorly lit corners at night.

Public transport gets an electric boost: New electric buses are meant to renew the fleet. At the same time there is talk of more bike stations and charging points – a step that many commuters and cyclists will notice in the morning at the Estación Intermodal. I spoke with a bus driver last week: "Finally modern buses," she said, but added: "Maintenance facilities and training must come along as well."

Social housing, police and sports facilities

Part of the money will go into social housing – which is urgently needed in neighborhoods like Son Gotleu or Camp Redó. Additional police forces and new sports facilities are also planned; the town hall cites safety and leisure offerings as priorities. Sounds good, but residents rightly ask: Where exactly will the housing be built? And how quickly will it happen?

Practical questions remain. Timetables, tender procedures and exact locations are still missing in many cases. A budget plan is always a political promise: you invest today in the hope that planners, architects and craftsmen will deliver promptly.

Assessment: opportunities and open issues

€624 million is a lot – and it offers the chance to make squares attractive again and to make local transport more climate-friendly. But such sums also bring risks. Cost increases, delays and uncertainties in the financing of individual projects could mean that some initiatives arrive more slowly than promised.

For the people of Palma it remains important that decisions are made transparently and that there are concrete timeframes. Otherwise much will remain mere announcements – and that is something the island knows all too well. I will keep following this and will report back when the first diggers start moving.