Costa Rica's National Housing and Urban Planning Institute (INVU) has approved the new Plan Regulador for the canton of Santa Ana, a key milestone in the approval process set out under the Urban Planning Law, which will replace the plan that has been in place since 1991. Following INVU's technical approval, the next steps are ratification by the Santa Ana Municipal Council and subsequent publication in the official gazette, La Gaceta.
Key highlights include:
- Updated zoning: the regulation updates the canton's zoning framework and sets differentiated land-use parameters depending on the type of zone.
- Development intensity: adjusts permitted development levels between urban and non-urban zones, seeking to balance growth with the protection of sensitive areas.
- Urban development incentives: introduces mechanisms allowing developers to obtain development benefits in exchange for contributions to public space and urban infrastructure.
- Condominiums: establishes new rules and conditions for condominium-style developments, including a maximum limit of 250 units ("filiales") for new horizontal condominium projects.
- Historic and heritage preservation: includes specific provisions to protect the identity, scale, and public space of downtown Santa Ana
The Municipality has launched an interactive map to check the zoning and applicable urban parameters for any property in the canton: https://ide.santaana.go.cr/catalogue/.
By Alexandra Raven
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