Romania's Territorial Planning, Urbanism and Construction Code (CATUC), Law No. 169/2026, entered into force on 25 August 2026, marking one of the most significant reforms to the country's urban planning framework in two decades. Mauricio Mesa Gomez, Chairman of the Board of Cordia Romania and Spain, says the new Code brings greater predictability for developers and financiers, though its success will depend on the capacity of public authorities to implement the new mechanisms effectively.
"From our international experience, predictability almost always outweighs flexibility. For investors, developers and financiers, it is more important to have clear and stable rules than the possibility of constant adjustments from one project to another," said Mauricio Mesa Gomez. He noted that one of the most debated provisions, the limitation of increases in urban planning coefficients through Zonal Urban Plans and the reservation of very high-density indicators for the General Urban Plan, should be viewed through the lens of predictability rather than as a restriction.
Among the changes introduced by CATUC, Mesa Gomez singles out urbanisation agreements as particularly significant. These allow local authorities and developers to jointly establish contributions toward the infrastructure required to support urban growth. "Perhaps the most important change brought by CATUC is the recognition that modern urban development requires cooperation between the public and private sectors. Large-scale projects are not just about constructing buildings; they are also about integrating them into a functional urban system with adequate infrastructure, mobility solutions and public services," he said. He added that Spain has long relied on similar instruments through which part of the value generated by a development project is reinvested in infrastructure and public spaces.
CATUC also creates a legal framework for a territorial infrastructure contribution intended to finance public infrastructure. Mesa Gomez welcomes the principle but stresses that implementation will be decisive. "The issue is not the existence of the contribution itself, but its predictability. Investors need to be able to assess project-related costs from the very beginning," he said.
"An institutional developer will always prefer a clear rule, even a stricter one, to a grey area where decisions are difficult to anticipate. CATUC lays the foundations for a more mature and predictable market. The next stage will be how these principles are reflected in secondary legislation and in the day-to-day practice of local authorities," concluded Mauricio Mesa Gomez. Cordia is currently developing Centropolitan, a 274-apartment residential project near Alba Iulia Square in Bucharest, which also includes 3,345 sqm of retail space and resident amenities.
