Algaida creates the Rustic Unit to bring order to an increasingly populated countryside
The municipality wants to coordinate services, improve communication with residents, and manage a rural area strained by tourism and population growth.
Outside the town of Algaida, it is no longer the tranquil agricultural area that once defined the heart of Mallorca. With over 1,700 registered residents—and many more who are not on the census—and nearly a thousand holiday tourist accommodations, the municipality's rural territory has become a dense, active, and difficult-to-manage area. This growth is in addition to the population of the urban centers, which in 2024 reached 5,546 inhabitants in Algaida, 672 in Pina, and 116 in Randa. The new human and tourist pressure has multiplied the problems: uncontrolled dumping, security conflicts, unlicensed construction, irregular earthworks, damage to protected areas, and even issues of coexistence. According to the Town Hall, some residents "want to have rights but forget their obligations," which makes managing a fragile and dispersed area difficult.
Mayor Margalida Fullana sums up the situation: "The population and tourism have increased, but services are what they are and have limitations in terms of budget, staff, and maintenance."
A new structure to coordinate efforts
In this context, the City Council has launched the Algaida Municipal Rural Unit (URMA), a cross-cutting tool that integrates all municipal departments involved in the monitoring and maintenance of rural land. The objective: to unify criteria, centrally record incidents, and expedite responses. The team is made up of elected officials and technical staff from the Environment and Urban Planning departments, the municipal maintenance crew, the Local Police, Civil Protection, and personnel from the company GRAM. Any report—from residents, municipal services, or law enforcement agencies—will be centralized in a single internal system. From there, the case will be assessed and the corresponding response assigned. Actions will be recorded and monitored monthly. Fullana explains that the new model responds to a clear need: "We have opted to unify criteria and establish a common system that facilitates the detection and resolution of incidents in rural areas." Neighborhood meetings and direct channels
The URMA also incorporates a communication plan with residents. Meetings are planned for each industrial park throughout the year to identify problems and explain municipal actions. In addition, specific channels will be created to manage multiple incidents and urgent cases requiring police intervention.
The schedule is already set: the group was activated this November, the internal channel will be operational in December, and the first regional meeting will be held in January. The first results report will be presented during the first quarter of 2026.
The case of roads: from agricultural routes to intensive routes
One of the clearest examples of the change is the road network. Before, traffic was minimal, and many landowners maintained their section of the road. Now, with the arrival of new residents and the impact of tourism, these roads bear more traffic and less maintenance.
"People who come from outside the village want the same services as within an urban area, and that's not the case. It's unfeasible," says Fullana, who points out that living on rural land entails specific conditions: private water supply, limitations on public services, and strict regulations that the City Council cannot ignore.