Santa Cruz updates the land use regulations for its three parishes

The Autonomous Decentralized Municipal Government of the Santa Cruz canton issued Ordinance 147-CC-GADMSC-2026, which regulates sustainable development and territorial planning and replaces the urban land use and occupation framework for Puerto Ayora, Bellavista, and Santa Rosa. The regulation is contained in the Official Registry, Special Edition No. 1719, from Thursday, October 29, 2026, consisting of 84 pages, and is effective from its publication in that bulletin, on the municipal website, and in the official gazette.

The ordinance was formulated in compliance with the Transitory Provision of Ordinance 130-CC-GADMSC-2024 and is aligned with the Development and Territorial Planning Plan 2023-2027 and the Land Use and Management Plan (PUGS) 2020-2032, as well as the Galápagos Plan 2030. Its framework invokes the COOTAD, the LOOTUGS, the Organic Law of the Special Regime of the Galápagos Province, and resolutions 009-CTUGS-2020 and 016-CTUGS-2024.

The Cantonal Council approved it in the first debate on April 10, 2026, and in the second debate on September 24, 2026; Mayor Fanny Uribe López sanctioned it on October 2, 2026, and the Council Secretary, Karla Tapia Sánchez, certified the process.

Construction: setbacks, green areas, and habitability

New residential, commercial, tourist, or mixed-use buildings must incorporate green areas in at least 10% of the total area of the property, with priority given to native species. Lighting and ventilation windows must total at least 20% of the useful room area, and openings toward side or rear boundaries may not be located less than 3 meters from the dividing line.

• Mandatory elevator in buildings of five floors or more, including basements, according to standards NTE INEN 3139 and 2299.
• Visible construction sign of 1m x 1m featuring the owner, technical lead, permit number, and deadline; for works smaller than 40 m², displaying the permit on the facade is sufficient.
• Notification of the start of work at least five days in advance to the Directorate of Urbanism and Cadastre.
• Partial habitability certificate from 80% physical progress and definitive upon 100%.

In subdivisions and urbanizations, the minimum land cession for green areas and communal equipment shall be 15% of the useful urbanizable area, with at least half destined for green areas, and the total delivery may not exceed 35%.

Tourism: permits, buses, and leases

The permit for the construction, expansion, or remodeling of tourist accommodations will require a document from the National Tourism Authority, in accordance with Article 14 of the Tourist Accommodation Regulations for Galápagos, and the building must be 100% completed and have a certificate of habitability. Establishments that operate buses or minibuses must have internal parking; leaving them on public roads, sidewalks, or front setbacks is prohibited.

If the property does not allow for parking, the owner must present a lease agreement legalized by public deed, with a minimum and uninterrupted validity of five years, a requirement for the operating license and the certificate of habitability. The tenancy registration before the Appraisals and Cadastre Unit requires an updated IPRUS, the property deed and contract, and the maximum rent will be calculated based on the cadastral appraisal.

Incentives and sanctioning regime

Constructions with sustainable systems may access a 50% reduction in property tax or the construction permit fee, as well as public recognition, in application of Article 498 of the COOTAD. At least one of these elements is required in a minimum of 50%: masonry, cladding, roofing, photovoltaic solar panels, rainwater and wastewater treatment, or permeable gardens.

• Minor infraction: 30% to 50% of a unified basic salary and 40 hours of community service.
• Serious infraction: one unified basic salary and 80 hours of community service.
• Very serious infraction: two unified basic salaries and 160 hours of community service.
• Recidivism: double the fine; demolition at the offender’s expense will be collected via coercive action with a 20% surcharge.

Implementation deadlines

The Communication Unit, together with the Directorate of Urbanism and Cadastres, will disseminate the regulation within 30 days. Constructions currently in progress will have 60 days to adapt and notify their compliance, and within 180 days, the Municipality must identify the strips of the urban area that require regularization.

The ordinance repeals regulations 0054-CC-GADMSC-2016, 0075-CC-GADMSC-2018, and 084-CC-GADMSC-2019, regarding the use and occupation of urban land in the three parishes, as well as 0035-CC-GADMSC-2015 and Article 18 of the municipal real estate ordinance.

The new framework directly affects owners, builders, and tourism operators of the canton that concentrates the main population centers of Santa Cruz island, where the scarcity of developable land and the pressure of tourist accommodation coexist with the environmental restrictions of the Galápagos special regime. Tax incentives and transition periods will be the points of greatest attention for those with ongoing works.

Source: Official Registry, Special Edition No. 1719, October 29, 2026, p. 1 (official reference: Ordinance No. 147-CC-GADMSC-2026).