In 1840, villagers of Palilula rejected the regulatory plan of Belgrade, on the basis that projected new streets would be too wide, and later even tried to split from the municipality of Belgrade because of the city government's low funding for the village. However, in the late 19th century Palilula became part of the continuously built-up area of Belgrade. The neighborhood was mostly residential, with commercial facilities closer to the center of Belgrade. When Belgrade was divided into six quarters in 1860, Palilula was one of them. By the census of 1883 it became the most populous one in Belgrade with 7,318 inhabitants, and that number grew to 10,563 in 1890.