TUCSON, AZ (May 28, 2026) — The City of Tucson is preparing a broad 2026 development code update intended to modernize, clarify, and streamline portions of the city’s planning and development rules affecting parking, adaptive reuse, housing, signs, sidewalks, design standards, and review procedures.
The proposed package, called CODE Tucson ’26, builds on the city’s 2023 code cleanup effort and includes dozens of changes organized around eight themes. While many of the proposed revisions are technical or administrative, several could have practical implications for commercial property owners, developers, brokers, small businesses, and neighborhoods.
The biggest story is that this is not one single zoning change, but a large bundle of practical fixes. The guide organizes the proposal into eight themes: clarifying parking standards; improving code clarity and usability; addressing emerging land uses and adaptive reuse; modernizing design standards; removing barriers to housing; clarifying sidewalk repair responsibilities; reauthorizing the sign code; and simplifying review processes.
For commercial real estate, the most relevant changes appear to be in parking, adaptive reuse, office and industrial uses, food service, retail, medical uses, and review timelines. The parking section would simplify requirements for mixed-use developments, recreational uses, and self-service businesses such as ATMs, parcel lockers, water and ice kiosks, and unattended fuel stations. The stated goal is to reduce unnecessary parking areas and remove parking-related barriers to projects.
The adaptive reuse section could be especially important for older commercial buildings. The city is proposing to expand adaptive-reuse provisions, allow broader use of existing sites, and permit additional uses in areas where the current code may be too restrictive. Examples include allowing food service as an adaptive reuse option, allowing cultural uses and accessory retail in office zones, permitting food service as an accessory use with retail, and allowing some perishable goods manufacturing, such as bakeries, coffee roasters, or tortilla factories, in both commercial and industrial zones.
The package also responds to newer business models and land uses. It would define battery storage as an emerging use and include it within distribution service uses, clarify minor medical uses such as acupuncture and acupressure, allow personal services in more industrial and office zones, and permit home occupation day care in C-2 and C-3 zones.
On housing, CODE Tucson ’26 appears focused on removing small but meaningful regulatory barriers. The proposal would clarify how existing accessory structures can be converted into habitable space and update subdivision standards tied to middle housing and middle housing cleanups. The stated impact is to support more flexible housing options, smaller and more affordable homeownership opportunities, and additional living space for households.
Another noteworthy point is process reform. The city proposes changes to the Zoning Examiner process, neighborhood meeting timelines, Mayor and Council special exception procedures, rezoning adoption procedures, minor historic review thresholds, cistern requirements, and flexible lot development cleanup. Many of these are framed as ways to improve predictability, reduce avoidable process delays, and make review procedures clearer for applicants and neighbors.
For developers, brokers, and property owners, the proposal could make older commercial sites more flexible, reduce uncertainty in project review, and open the door to more small-scale reuse, food service, personal service, medical, cultural, office, and industrial activity in existing buildings. For neighborhoods, the package also attempts to clarify notice periods, sidewalk responsibilities, sign rules, and review procedures, which could make the process easier to understand even when projects are controversial.
Overall, the proposal appears to move in a more flexible, development-friendly direction, though several provisions may warrant close review by property owners, brokers, neighborhood groups, and small businesses as the package moves forward.
Sidewalk repair responsibilities could be sensitive.
The package says it would clarify sidewalk maintenance standards, responsibility, and processes. That may be harmless cleanup, but depending on how it is written, it could affect property owners if the city is tightening expectations or enforcement for sidewalk and landscape-related maintenance.
Sign code changes deserve broker/business scrutiny.
Most of the sign changes look administrative, but sign rules can matter a lot to retail, restaurants, shopping centers, and small businesses. The proposal would make the sign code permanent by removing its sunset date, updating review procedures, and clarifying requirements for electronic message centers, menu boards, frontage calculations, and setbacks. That may be good for certainty, but stakeholders may want to ensure it does not lock in rules that remain too restrictive.
Drive-through standards could limit some site plans.
The proposal would limit certain drive-through elements and clarify ordering points, menu boards, escape lanes, and service points. It says the goal is better design and fewer site/corridor impacts, but QSR users, banks, coffee shops, and brokers may want to review whether the changes make small infill sites harder to use.
Adding battery storage as a defined use could draw attention.
This is probably necessary because battery storage is an emerging land use, but depending on where it is allowed and what standards apply, it could become a neighborhood concern around safety, location, screening, or industrial compatibility.
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Community members are encouraged to attend either the in-person or virtual meeting to learn more about the proposed updates and share comments before the package is finalized.
Public Meeting Schedule
In-Person Community Meeting
- Monday, June 1, 2026
- 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Youth On Their Own, 2525 N. Country Club Rd.
Please RSVP for the in-person meeting: In-Person Meeting Registration
Virtual Community Meeting via Zoom
- Monday, June 8, 2026
- 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Zoom (Registration required)
Please register in advance for the virtual meeting: Virtual Meeting Registration
After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the meeting.
To read the Code Package, go here: CODE Tucson '26 Info Packet