Land Use Plan — Poás Agua y Fuego

What is the Land Use Plan?

The Land Use Plan is the local planning instrument that defines land use and development standards in our canton. Its objective is to ensure orderly and sustainable growth, protecting hydrological recharge zones and managing volcanic risk.

Land Zoning

Definition of residential, commercial, industrial and protection areas for orderly use of the territory.

Environmental Protection

Safeguarding of forests, springs and biological corridors essential for local biodiversity and hydrological recharge zones.

Volcanic Risk Management

Special regulations for the areas of direct influence of Poás Volcano and its restriction zones.

Hydrological Heritage

Protection of the Poás, Colima and Barva aquifers, recharge zones and the canton's rivers as a strategic resource.

Urban Development

Regulation of construction, setbacks, heights and densities to guarantee the quality of life of the community.

Canton Zones

Zoning Regulation

Code	Zone	Permitted Uses
ZR	Residential	Single-family and two-family housing
ZC	Commercial	Commerce, services and offices
ZM	Mixed	Residential with minor commercial uses
ZI	Industrial	Agro-industry and workshops
ZP	Protection	No construction — environmental conservation

Zoning Map

Zoning map of the Canton of Poás — Current Land Use Plan

INVU · Manual 2025

MAPRIOT — Land Use Plan Manual as a Territorial Planning Instrument

A technical tool by INVU that guides municipal governments in the formulation, update and modification of Land Use Plans in Costa Rica.

Official note: The MAPRIOT updates previous versions of the manual (2007, 2018 and 2021), adapting to the country's conceptual, regulatory and procedural changes. It was approved at Ordinary Session No. JDINVU-028-2025 on November 6, 2025. It applies to all cantons in the country, with the exception of areas within the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (Law No. 6043), Indigenous Territories, Natural Heritage of the State and Border Zones.

Main Objective

Ensure the safety, health, convenience and well-being of the community through planned territorial management.
Promote efficient land use and the conservation of natural, cultural and economic resources in urban and rural environments.
Incorporate environmental, social and economic sustainability criteria into territorial planning.
Align Land Use Plans with local, regional and national planning instruments.
Strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of municipal planning teams.

Legal Framework and Responsibilities

Political Constitution (1949)

Arts. 169 and 170 — Municipal autonomy and authority to administer and plan the territory.

INVU Organic Law, No. 1788 (1954)

Grants INVU the authority to plan urban development and prepare Land Use Plans.

Urban Planning Law, No. 4240 (1968)

Framework law: defines the Land Use Plan, its minimum content (Art. 16), procedure (Art. 17) and the five Urban Development Regulations (Art. 21).

Environmental Organic Law, No. 7554 (1995)

Introduces territorial planning as a legal concept linked to sustainable development.

National Planning Law, No. 5525 (1974)

Creates the National Planning System and integrates the regional and urban dimension.

Executive Decree No. 44710-MINAE

Regulates the incorporation of the Environmental Variable in Territorial Planning through the EIVA-POT methodology.

🏢 Responsible Institutions

INVU – Urban Planning DirectorateGoverning body: reviews, approves and advises municipalities on the preparation of Land Use Plans.

Municipalities / Local GovernmentsDirectly responsible for formulating, adopting and enforcing the Land Use Plan in their canton.

SETENAVerifies and approves the Environmental Variable (Environmental Viability) of the plans.

MIDEPLANCoordinates the National Planning System and the regional dimension.

MIIPRInter-institutional committee that generates technical inputs and supports the formulation and approval processes.

Critical Components of the Land Use Plan

A. Territorial Diagnosis

Multidimensional analysis across five axes: Social, Physical-Spatial, Economic, Political-Institutional and Legal. Includes a Cartographic Atlas with thematic maps.

B. Territorial Forecast

Projection of trends and construction of future scenarios (territorial foresight) to anticipate changes and guide sustainable development.

C. Urban Development Policy

Defines principles, urban development objectives, strategic actions and the planning time horizon.

D. Urban Development Regulations

5 mandatory regulations (Art. 21, Law No. 4240): Zoning, Subdivision, Construction, Official Map and Urban Renewal.

E. Environmental Variable (EIVA-POT)

IFA, DAM, RIC and IME. Requires Environmental Viability approval from SETENA.

F. Base Map

Georeferenced cartographic representation in the official CRTM-05 projection that integrates territorial information layers.

Preparation Process: 7 Stages

Preliminary Preparation

Designation of the Local Planning Body; financial management; area delimitation; hiring of the Planning Team; preparation of the Citizen Participation Strategy with a gender and diversity approach.

Base Map Preparation

Data collection, scale selection, integration of cartographic layers and validation of the base map.

Incorporation of the Environmental Variable

Application of the EIVA-POT methodology (IFA or DAM-RIC-IME) with coordination before SETENA.

Territorial Diagnosis

Analysis of the current situation by thematic axes; data systematization and preparation of the diagnostic cartographic atlas.

Territorial Forecast

Projection of trends and construction of future scenarios; strategic recommendations.

Land Use Plan Proposal

Formulation of the Urban Development Policy and drafting of the Urban Development Regulations; proposal cartographic atlas.

Public Hearing

Formal notice (minimum 15 business days); collection of citizen comments; hearing report; special considerations for Indigenous Peoples.

📌 Steps following the preparation stages:

Submission to INVU for technical review (criteria for diagnosis, forecast, policy and regulations).
Approval or Denial by resolution of INVU's Urban Planning Directorate.
Formal Adoption by the Municipal Council (absolute majority of votes).
Publication in La Gaceta for entry into force.
Monitoring and Evaluation through territorial management indicators.

Impact on the Territory: Control and Development

Land use regulation

Through the Zoning Regulation, it defines conforming, conditional, non-conforming and prohibited uses in each zone of the canton.

Construction and subdivision control

The regulations govern densities, heights, coverages, setbacks and minimum lot sizes, controlling the form and intensity of urban development.

Risk management and climate adaptation

Integrates the environmental variable and considers climate change, fragility areas and risk zones, limiting development in vulnerable territories.

Road planning and services

The Official Map and Road Map determine the cantonal road network and reserves for public services, parks and community facilities.

Multi-level coordination

Coordinated with the National Urban Development Plan, INDER's Rural Territorial Development Plans and other sectoral instruments.

Land Use Certificates

It is the reference instrument the municipality uses to issue permits and control territory development in real time.

Binding citizen participation

The Public Hearing ensures the community has a say in territorial decisions, turning the plan into an instrument of local governance.

Land Use PlanCanton of Poás

Latest Regulatory Plan files