San Diego General Plan Update Embraces New Vision for Growth, Sustainability
On a unanimous vote, the San Diego City Council adopted a comprehensive general plan amendment called Blueprint SD, aiming to guide the city's growth while addressing climate change, expediting zoning updates and tackling racial segregation. It is the first major general plan update sicne 2008. The plan promotes sustainable housing development in transit-friendly areas and seeks to increase multi-family housing in predominantly white neighborhoods to combat historical segregation. While the proposal received support from pro-growth advocates, it faced criticism from some community groups concerned about potential negative impacts on single-family neighborhoods and existing transit infrastructure. Mayor Todd Gloria emphasized that Blueprint SD represents a significant step toward creating an equitable and sustainable future for all residents.
Berkeley Rejects Major Upzoning; Will Study More Modest Version
After a lengthy and heated five-hour meeting, the Berkeley City Council voted to revise a proposal aimed at allowing small apartment buildings in predominantly single-family neighborhoods. The initial Middle Housing proposal would have permitted three-story buildings with no unit limits, but the amended version now imposes density restrictions, allowing five to seven units per typical 5,000-square-foot lot. Concerns were raised about the proposal's ability to address the historical context of single-family zoning, which has perpetuated racial segregation since its inception in 1916. Some residents voiced worries about the impact of new housing on lower-income neighborhoods and the potential for increased gentrification, while others argued that not providing more housing options is contributing to the displacement of communities of color. The council's vote directs staff to draft a proposed ordinance, with further town hall meetings planned to discuss the proposal and its implications. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
City of Merced Annexes Land Including UC Merced
UC Merced has officially been annexed into the City of Merced following a unanimous vote by the Local Agency Formation Commission. The annexation includes 1,140 acres and will pave the way for a new university community that connects the campus with the city. This move, seen as a milestone after 40 years of planning, aims to enhance infrastructure, provide services like fire response and create thousands of affordable housing units. Funding from the Virginia Smith Trust, which was established for educational purposes, will support scholarships for local high school students. While the annexation is expected to foster economic growth and strengthen ties between the university and the city, concerns about funding for fire services remain a topic of discussion among local leaders. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Survey Estimates Amount of Government-Owned Buildable Land Nationwide
The Center for Geospatial Solutions used parcel-level data to provide a detailed examination of development potential on federal, state, and local government-owned lands across the United States. The study, titled Who Owns America, identified over 276,000 acres of buildable land in transit-accessible urban areas across the U.S. which is capable of supporting over 1.9 million new homes. California ranks fifth among states with the greatest housing development opportunities with 14,158 acres of buildable land, mainly going in the southern two-thirds of the state. This represents 5.2% of the total buildable area nationwide of which 43.81 acres are federally owned land and 1,052 acres are state land.
CP&DR Coverage: Envisioning the "Missing Middle" in California and Elsewhere
Los Angeles-based planner Max Podemski explores the history and varieties of working class housing in his new book A Paradise of Small Houses. In it, Podemski highlights nine cities -- including Boston (triple-deckers, Philadelphia (row houses), Los Angeles (dingbats), Houston (townhouses), and his native Portland (bungalows) -- to figure out how cities accommodated diverse, growing populations. Podemski insists that none of these past trends provides a blueprint for the future. And, yet, there's plenty of inspiration to be found. Podemski recently spoke with CP&DR's Josh Stephens about the past and future of working class housing.
Quick Hits & Updates
Bay Area voters will decide on a historic $20 billion bond measure this November aimed at building or preserving up to 90,000 affordable homes across the region's nine counties. The measure, unanimously approved by the Bay Area Housing Financing Authority board, would levy a new property tax to fund the initiative, estimated to cost homeowners about $190 annually per $1 million of assessed property value through 2078. While facing skepticism over tax increases, proponents argue the bond is crucial to alleviate severe rent burdens and homelessness, though it requires a two-thirds majority to pass unless a separate ballot measure lowers the threshold to 55%.
In San Francisco's Hub District near Market Street and Van Ness Avenue, plans to revive the stalled One Oak housing project are underway. Originally intended as a 40-story condo tower, the project is now proposed to include 516 units of rental apartments, an increase from the previous plan of 460 units. The new development partnership seeks approval for a density boost and a reduction in affordable housing fees, facilitated by recent legislative changes aimed at easing financial viability challenges for residential projects in the city.
UC San Diego received approval from the Board of Regents to build a 6,000-bed housing village to address a severe housing shortage due to rapid enrollment growth and expensive off-campus housing. The $2 billion project, located in a 20-acre area near the Blue Line trolley station and Interstate 5, aims to offer four-year housing guarantees with rent at least 20 percent below market value. Additionally, UCSD received permission to build a $350 million, 150,000-square-foot life science research building on campus.
San Francisco city leaders are exploring a new subway project along Geary Boulevard and 19th Avenue, an idea that has been around since the 1930s. The proposed line, which could span over eight miles and cost at least $15 billion, seeks to address future transit needs and support increased housing developments, potentially serving up to 300,000 passengers daily while connecting to the city’s existing and future rail networks.
Developer TenSouth asserts that the City of Gilroy must approve its 501-unit project on Las Animas Avenue under builder's remedy, citing a July 2 letter from the state's Department of Housing and Community Development that supports this claim. The dispute centers on whether Gilroy’s draft housing element, which was not state-certified until August, should affect the project's eligibility, with TenSouth accusing the city of wrongfully delaying the project and threatening legal action.
LA Metro published a draft environmental impact report for the K Line's (Crenshaw Line) northern extension to Hollywood, featuring three potential underground routes with varying lengths and ridership projections, ranging from 47,200 to 59,700 daily trips. The project's estimated costs range from $11 billion to $14.8 billion, with construction expected to start in 2041 and funding opportunities being explored through initiatives like an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District in West Hollywood. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a major redevelopment project for the Stonestown Galleria site, which will introduce 3,500 new housing units, extensive retail and office spaces and community amenities over the next two decades. The development, spearheaded by Brookfield Properties, will begin with infrastructure improvements in 2026 and use an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District for funding, maintaining the existing mall throughout construction.
Over 350,000 policyholders are suing California’s FAIR Plan, which provides fire insurance for those unable to find coverage elsewhere, accusing it of failing to cover smoke damage as required by the law and leaving homeowners with unsafe living conditions. The plaintiffs allege that FAIR Plan policies fail to meet state coverage requirements and identify numerous violations; they also argue that a misleading update from 2017 states that the policy only covers “direct physical damage” from smoke and fails to address the full range of smoke-related issues.
At Representative Maxine Waters’s behest, the U.S. House of Representatives removed $200 million allocated for the Inglewood Transit Connector from its Department of Transportation budget, putting the project’s future at risk. Inglewood Mayor James Butts argues that, despite some business displacement, the project will create 17,000 jobs, with 35% of work being designated to Inglewood residents, and he calls Rep. Waters’s suggestion to use buses as impractical.
