The Land Use Code is one of the city’s main tools for regulating land uses and implementing the policies of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. The code is always evolving and is updated for a variety of reasons, including:
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan is used by the City of Boulder and Boulder County to guide long-range planning, the review of development proposals and other activities that shape the built and natural environments in the Boulder Valley.
The Land Use Code is one of the city’s main tools for regulating land uses and implementing the policies of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.
The city researches and drafts ordinances to amend the Land Use Code, and community engagement is vital to the process and helps to guide and shape all amendments. All changes to the Land Use Code are reviewed by the Planning Board at a public hearing before being considered by the City Council for adoption. Learn how to participate in City Council meetings. Here is a list of current and past code changes:
City Council is reviewing updates to landscaping and building rules to support wildfire resilience and water conservation. This 2024-2025 council priority aims to encourage native and drought-tolerant plants, expand the city’s tree canopy to reduce urban heat and promote fire-resistant landscaping.
The city has proposed code updates (draft ordinance), a new landscape manual and a tree and plant list with more native, low-water and fire-resistant species.
At its Oct. 16 meeting, City Council continued the public hearing on the draft ordinance to Dec. 18, to allow time to refine the proposal. Council requested adjustments to better balance wildfire safety, water savings and tree preservation. Council also had concerns about making more development projects subject to landscape plans and requiring licensed landscape architects (in some instances). Council requested that the rules be loosened to not require licensed landscape architects, revise the scope for requiring landscape plans, and change rules to allow for more preservation of mature trees, among other detailed requests.
A revised version will be sent to City Council for consideration on Dec. 18.
Join us for office hours to learn more about the proposed ordinance or check out the FAQs below.
No. The draft ordinance has been revised so that the prior proposed requirement for a licensed landscape architect has been removed. The prior proposal was to require a licensed landscape architect on any property greater than one acre.
Arborists are only required when handling trees within the city right-of-way, not on private property.
No. The prior version of the ordinance included a proposal to change the scope of projects that would require a landscape plan which has been removed. The updated ordinance maintains the current scope requirements, that a landscape plan is required for multi-unit residential or non-residential projects with additions valued at 25% or more of the value of the existing structures, and additions to detached dwelling units valued at 75% or more of the value of existing structures on lots. Staff is evaluating whether to change the current requirement for a landscape plan to be required for any internal conversions without additions. The current requirement is that a landscaping plan is required for any internal conversions without additions valued at 100% or more of the value of existing structures.
No. Per City Council direction, this prohibition on weed fabric in new development or redevelopment has been removed. Nevertheless, staff continues to recommend against the use of weed barriers and landscape fabric as it is not a best practice according to experts, including the Denver Botanical Garden, Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado Native Plant Society. It is not recommended because it encourages the growth of aggressive weeds, restricts desired plant growth, decreases rainwater infiltration, exacerbates stormwater runoff, decreases soil moisture and health, increases the risk of fire from its high flammability and/or can result in groundwater contamination from petroleum-based products entering the soil. Typically, landscape fabric ultimately also requires removal, which also increases long-term maintenance costs and likely disturbance to existing plant material.
As of Aug. 1, 2025, no new junipers are permitted to be planted citywide as of effect Aug. 1, 2025. Removal of existing junipers would only be required on properties where a new building is proposed as part of new development or any redevelopment. At this time, nothing in this code related to junipers is retroactive and nothing requires community members to remove existing junipers.
Take a look at 2024 State Land Use bills and how they impact the City of Boulder.
Ordinance 8700, Ordinance 8696 and Ordinance 8713 – The Access Management and Parking Strategy (AMPS) project is complete following adoption of the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance on Sept. 18, 2025. AMPS covered three topics related to parking: off-street parking standards, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and on-street parking management strategies. In June 2025, City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 8700 updating on-street parking management strategies, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Council next voted to adopt Ordinance 8696 in July, which went into effect on Aug. 23, 2025. Ordinance 8713, was adopted by City Council on Sept. 18, 2025 and goes into effect April 1, 2026.
Ordinance 8695 – Adopted June 5, 2025. Adopts the 2024 International Wildland Urban Interface Code with local amendments, effective Aug. 1, 2025. Also updates the mapped Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) area. Learn more about the WUI update.
Ordinance 8694 – Adopted May 1, 2025. Updates regulations for Wireless Communication Facilities and Small Cell Wireless in the city right-of-way based upon the latest Federal Communications Commission rulings and interpretations.
Ordinance 8684 – Adopted March 20, 2025. The ordinance adopts the 2024 International Building Codes published by the International Code Council with local amendments specific to the City of Boulder. These codes will go into effect Aug. 1, 2025.
Ordinance 8651 – Adopted March 6, 2025. Aligns regulations with 2024 state legislation that prohibits residential occupancy limits based on number of unrelated people. Visit Occupancy Limits to learn more.
Ordinance 8666 – Adopted February 6, 2025. Aligns accessory dwelling unit regulations with recently adopted state legislation. Effective March 8, 2025. Visit Accessory Dwelling Units to learn more.
Ordinance 8650 – Adopted February 6, 2025. Aligns accessory dwelling unit regulations with recently adopted state legislation. Visit Accessory Dwelling Units to learn more.
Ordinance 8665 – Adopted Jan. 9, 2025. Regulates natural medicine businesses consistent with state law. in the City of Boulder. Visit Natural Medicine to learn more.
Ordinance 8658 – Adopted Dec. 19, 2024. Simplifies certain historic preservation review processes.
The latest update was approved June, 2024. The City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code sets minimum energy performance standards for newly constructed and renovated buildings. Learn more about the changes and the code at boulderenergycode.com.
Ordinance 8622 – Adopted June 20, 2024. Simplifies certain development review processes.
Ordinance 8620 – Adopted March 7, 2024. Fixes errors, clarifies code sections, updates graphics and improves clarity of the code.
Ordinance 8590 – Adopted Nov. 16, 2023. Update use table and standards in business and mixed use zoning districts to support walkable neighborhood center policies in the BVCP.
Ordinance 8601 – Adopted Nov. 2, 2023. Modifies affordable housing requirements and incentives.
Ordinance 8599 – Adopted Oct. 5, 2023. Updates intensity, form and bulk, use, parking and subdivision standards to support affordable and modest sized housing.
Ordinance 8585 – Adopted Aug. 17, 2023. Increases the number of people that may occupy a dwelling unit.
Ordinance 8581 – Adopted July 20, 2023. Extends land use approval expiration from one year to three years and provides flexibility for approvals that expired during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ordinance 8571 – Adopted May 4, 2023. Updates Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) process and standards to remove barriers to ADU construction.
Ordinance 8515 – Adopted Feb. 16, 2023. Updates Site Review criteria to be clearer and more descriptive.
Ordinance 8556 – Adopted Feb. 16, 2023. Updates use table and standards in industrial areas to align with BVCP policies.
Ordinance 8523 – Adopted June 21, 2022. Reorganizes Chapter 6 to simplify use table and standards.
Ordinance 8514 – Adopted Dec. 14, 2021. Adds use standards and processes for oil and gas operations.
Ordinance 8510 – Adopted Nov. 9, 2021. Updates regulations for restaurants in public zoning districts.
Ordinance 8409 – Adopted Oct. 6, 2020. Cleans up and clarifies code language.
Ordinance 8380 – Adopted Feb. 13, 2020. Removes the University Hill area from the Medium Density Overlay Zone.
Ordinance 8359 – Adopted Oct. 29, 2019. Establishes new Community Benefit program related to building height regulations.
Ordinances 8358 and 8337 – Adopted Oct. 29, 2019. Creates new Opportunity Zone overlay prohibiting demolition of attached dwelling units. Updates use standards in overlay zone.
Ordinance 8296 – Adopted Feb. 5, 2019. Restricts other ground floor uses in the Business Community district to preserve commercial retail uses.
Ordinance 8252 – Adopted June 19, 2018. Extended height standards until 2020.
Ordinance 8244 – Adopted June 5, 2018. Addition of development standards for ground floor commercial uses in the MU-3 district along Pearl Street.
Ordinance 8256 – Adopted Dec. 4, 2018. Incremental updates to ADU regulations.
