Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda launched a public consultation on the state’s Urban Development Plan for 2026 to 2040, calling on residents, businesses, academics, and civic organizations to help shape growth policy for the next 14 years. The announcement was made from Mexicali on May 13.
The plan aims to replace an urban planning framework that has not been updated since 1994. Arturo Espinoza Jaramillo, head of the Secretaría de Infraestructura, Desarrollo Urbano y Reordenación Territorial (SIDURT), said the current regulations carry a 30-year lag and no longer reflect the state’s binational and demographic reality.
What the Plan Covers
The new framework will set rules for zoning, housing, infrastructure, mobility, and city growth across Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Rosarito, and Tecate. Five additional regulatory instruments are still being validated as part of the process. All three levels of government, federal, state, and municipal, are coordinating on the plan.
For the first time in Baja California, a citizen oversight body will be created to monitor the plan’s implementation after it is adopted. The state’s planning committee, Coplade, is coordinating the consultation.
How to Participate
The state will hold both in-person forums and virtual sessions. Residents who want to take part can register by emailing consultapublica@baja.gob.mx or sending a WhatsApp message to 686-140-7193.
This is a rare opportunity for property owners and long-term residents, including the large expat communities in Rosarito, Ensenada, and Tijuana, to weigh in on the legal framework that governs where and how development happens. Zoning rules, building codes, and infrastructure investment priorities for the next generation are all on the table.
Why the Update Matters Now
Baja California’s population has grown rapidly since the last urban planning law took effect in 1994. Tijuana alone now exceeds 2 million residents. Construction booms in Rosarito and Ensenada, many driven by foreign buyers, have outpaced the old regulatory framework. The updated plan intends to create a balanced, sustainable territorial development model that accounts for the state’s current conditions.
The consultation is open now. No deadline for registration has been announced.
Originally reported by Jornada BC and confirmed by Uniradio Baja California and California Medios.