Today, the Decree approving the National Program for Territorial Planning and Urban Development 2026–2030 (the “Program”) was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. The Program constitutes the guiding instrument of Mexico’s national policy on territorial planning and urban development for the current federal administration. The Program was prepared by the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario, Territorial y Urbano, “SEDATU”) and is binding upon all Federal Public Administration entities.
Below, we provide an initial overview of the Program, highlighting those elements we consider most relevant for the real estate and urban development sector. For a more detailed analysis tailored to specific projects or strategies, our team remains at your disposal.
General Structure of the Program
The Program is organized around four thematic pillars: i) Territorial Planning; ii) Territorial Development; iii) Regional Productive Development; and iv) Sustainability and Resilience. Each pillar includes strategic objectives, strategies, and lines of action assigned to responsible authorities, together with measurable indicators and targets. The Program is aligned with the National Development Plan (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo) 2025–2030 and complements existing instruments such as the National Territorial Planning Strategy (Estrategia Nacional de Ordenamiento Territorial, ENOT) and the National Mobility and Road Safety Strategy (Estrategia Nacional de Movilidad y Seguridad Vial, ENAMOV).
Four Key Objectives with Direct Impact on the Real Estate Sector
- Objective 1. To consolidate an integrated, systemic, and participatory territorial planning framework by improving land management and equitable access to services, particularly in underserved regions. For the sector, this implies a renewed push for updating municipal urban development plans (currently, only 23.5% of municipalities have a valid plan in place) and an expectation of greater regulatory certainty at the local level.
- Objective 2. To reduce territorial disparities in infrastructure, public services, mobility, and adequate housing, prioritizing vulnerable populations. The Program acknowledges that more than two-thirds of registered land reserves are located in unconsolidated peri-urban areas or outside urban boundaries, presenting both challenges and opportunities for well-located housing developments.
- Objective 3. To promote economic development with social-territorial equity through territorial suitability assessments for productive projects (including Economic Development Poles for Wellbeing) and through cadastral and land registry regularization as a foundation for legal certainty in investment.
- Objective 4. To strengthen territorial resilience and sustainability through ecosystem protection and comprehensive disaster risk management. Environmental suitability and climate risk criteria are expected to become increasingly determinative in the feasibility of development projects.
Key Highlights of the Program
1.- Cadastral and Public Registry as Foundations for Legal Certainty in Investment. The Program identifies the fragmentation and obsolescence of cadastral and land registry systems as a structural issue. The diagnosis is significant: 358 municipalities lack cadastral activity; only 33% of municipalities with cadastral records have digitalized files; and property tax revenues represent only 0.3% of GDP, compared to 1.1% in OECD countries. The Program aims to promote interoperability between cadastral and registry systems through digital platforms and simplified titling mechanisms. For the real estate sector, this represents both an opportunity (enhanced legal certainty in acquisitions) and a more scrutinized environment for transactions involving properties with irregular registry histories.
2.- Reorientation Toward Proper Housing Location. The Program expressly promotes the location of housing projects (particularly social housing) within established urban boundaries, discouraging patterns of territorial segregation. Coordination among the National Housing Commission (Comisión Nacional de Vivienda, CONAVI), the National Institute for Sustainable Land (Instituto Nacional del Suelo Sustentable, INSUS), and all levels of government is envisaged as the mechanism for selecting suitable land. For developers, this signals stricter eligibility criteria for public housing programs, with increased emphasis on location, connectivity, and access to services.
3.- Social Land Ownership and Agrarian Legal Certainty. Approximately 50.8% of Mexico’s national territory is under social ownership (ejidos and agrarian communities). The Program identifies significant deficiencies: i) nearly 4% of agrarian communities face land tenure conflicts; and ii) 43.2% lack current governing bodies. In a context where many real estate developments involve social land, the Program reinforces the need for prior legal certainty as a condition for project viability.
What This Means for the Real Estate Sector
The publication of the Program triggers a cycle of regulatory and policy updates across all levels of government. In the coming months, revisions to municipal territorial planning instruments, amendments to state laws, and new guidelines from SEDATU are expected. Development projects that anticipate these changes (particularly regarding land suitability, risk management, regularization, and interinstitutional coordination) will be better positioned to secure permits and access federal programs. Conversely, projects that fail to incorporate these considerations may face increased regulatory friction.
At the Firm, we have the experience to assist developers, funds, and investors in navigating this evolving regulatory landscape, from project structuring to permit coordination and resolution of land-related issues. Should you wish to discuss any of the matters outlined herein or assess their impact on a specific project, please do not hesitate to contact us.
