José Luis Araiza Velazno took office Monday as president of the Tijuana Architects College, immediately calling on the city to modernize construction and urban development regulations that have gone unrevised for more than five years.
Araiza Velazno was sworn in at a ceremony in Zona Río as head of the college’s XXIX Board of Directors, which will serve from 2026 to 2028. He replaces outgoing president Juan Carlos Cornejo. In his inaugural address, the new president identified outdated building codes as a top priority, citing Tijuana’s rapid vertical development and worsening traffic congestion as reasons for urgent regulatory updates.
Three Key Regulations Targeted for Reform
The college flagged three specific regulations for overhaul: the Condominium Regulations, the Building Code, and the Urban Development Regulation. None of these frameworks has been updated in at least five years, even as Tijuana’s skyline has transformed with dozens of new high-rise residential towers across neighborhoods like Zona Río, Playas de Tijuana, and the Cacho district.
Araiza Velazno said the Architects College plans to serve as an external advisory body to the municipal government on these revisions. The city’s Urban Development Secretariat (Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano) has indicated it is open to collaboration with the professional organization.
Why Outdated Codes Matter for Property Owners
The push carries practical consequences for anyone buying, building, or owning property in Tijuana. Condominium regulations govern how shared buildings are managed, how homeowner associations operate, and what rights individual unit owners hold. The building code dictates structural standards, safety requirements, and permitting processes. The urban development regulation shapes where new towers can go and how dense they can be.
Tijuana has experienced a sustained vertical construction boom in recent years, with towers of 20 stories or more becoming common in formerly low-rise neighborhoods. That growth has outpaced the regulatory framework, creating confusion around permits and zoning. Mobility has also worsened as new density concentrates in corridors that were not designed for current traffic volumes.
The Architects College is one of Tijuana’s oldest professional organizations for design and construction professionals. Its new leadership team will serve through 2028. First reported by Punto Norte.